Chasing the Dragon's Flame
by Tachyglossus
Summary: She journeyed to the Mountains of Barr seeking dragons, disillusioned about fellow humans. However, a feud of warring countries left her in a crowded dungeon, but that was just the beginning of her trials and triumphs. OC-Centric - R&R please.
1. Chapter 1: Caged

**A/N**: This is my first fan fiction ever. The setting is during the game, near the end of the first disc, and centered on an original character. I need my OC as an ice breaker to writing fan fiction.

**Disclaimer**: All Star Ocean characters, places, and terms belong to their respected creators, Tri-Ace, and copyrighted owners, Square-Enix. I do not claim to own any content from the game that is referenced or used in this story.

**Rating: **This story is rated T. This may still change. Here is a list of content, using the ESRB as a reference: Alcohol reference and use; Blood; Sexual Themes (_defined as: 'References to sex or sexuality' if you are unclear_); Suggestive Themes (_which is just described as: 'Mild provocative references or materials.' I am not being redundant_) ; Violence; Violent References.

* * *

**Chapter 1: _Caged_**

"Damnit…" were the last words uttered from the defeated woman before she collapsed. She wasn't entirely unconscious yet, but her body refused to respond, and her eyes weren't staying open. All that was left to her was noise. The soldiers surrounding her waited a moment, their weapons poised, before letting down their guard.

"They never come quietly…" said one soldier plaintively.

"I don't know why Aquarians are still lurking here, they already got copper for that weapon of theirs," grumbled another soldier. She heard the clank of armor right by her ear, then her hands and feet being bound. She wanted to fight, but her body had locked itself in, not allowing her to take things until her death. Two gauntlet-clad hands reached under her, and she felt herself being brought up from the hard ground. "We'll find out soon enough, the inquisitor will make sure of that."

"Ha ha, yes!" followed by a chorus of insidious laughter was the last she heard before her consciousness fully slipped away.

* * *

The fire burned. Yes, that was the way it ought to be. Burning. It ought to be seething. If only she could hold it in her hands. If only she could trace it to its origins - to the maw of superior beings. The stream flickered before her. She ran as fast as she could to follow it, but soon, darkness enshrouded her. It wasn't the fear of the dark that made her call out, but the frustration of being so close, only to be left in the dark again. Amidst the darkness, she heard a voice. 

"So, the maggot is finally awake."

Awake. So that was it. It didn't feel all that long she had been out cold, nonetheless, she was disoriented. She could sense the gentle flicking of a torch off somewhere, and feel the coldness of hard stone all around her. There was no natural sunlight to be found. She tried to put her hands beneath her to help herself rise, but the painful recollection of her hands being bound behind her back resulted in her merely squirming. Finally she just shook her head, and looked around for the source of the voice.

"I wouldn't… talk so big…" were her first words. Her eyes focused on the man shackled to the wall. She was in a prison cell. From the clutter of noises from other prisoners, she had a feeling that there were a lot of prisoners - perhaps an overflow. "Your situation isn't any better than mine…"

"Bah…" was the hasty response, as he jerked his head to the side, if only to emphasize the glare his sliver-like eyes cast out at her. Curling her body tightly, only to expand out, much like the movement of a caterpillar, she managed to get over to the poor excuse for a bed within the cell. She leaned herself against it, and then turned her full attention to the slender man.

"Where am I?" she finally asked, unsure she would get any answer from the man. She'd been in his presence less than five minutes, and he had already asserted himself as uninviting. The way his eyes leered at her from beneath a veil of bleach-tipped black hair showed an almost animal like aggression.

"Use your eyes, fool! You're in the dungeon of Airyglyph," came the crass response from the occupant. With her back against the bed, she brought her knees up to herself. To her surprise, she was still wearing most of her gear - except for her gauntlets. She curled in her lips, and glanced at the arrogant prisoner, noting he still maintained one large gauntlet. She narrowed her eyes. That could be used as a weapon… why did he remain with his? She could not help but feel a little jealous. Lifting her chin to him, she pulled back her lips in a grin. Perhaps he could become useful.

"WE are in the dungeon. Or do you just get someone to shackle you up down here for a perk?" She justified this taunting with that he WAS in fact restrained. Her body ached all over, if she had gotten into a fight, even with another possibly suffering atrophy, she would likely lose. He didn't pull angrily against the chains as she thought he would. Instead, he was calm, and cool, to the extent as to be unnerving.

"Hmph. What do you think they are going to do to Aquarian scum like you?" he asked, in a crisp, yet smooth voice. She intook a sharp breath. Aquarian? Come to think of it, wasn't Aquios and Airiglyph in the middle of a war? She glanced down at her own thigh, covered with runological symbols and dragon runes. She could see how she could be mistaken… which would give reason as to why those men bore open hostility against her.

"…I'm not a part of this war. If not for the lack of runes, I'd say by your choice of attire, you look like an Aquarian yourself…" she muttered, tilting her head to the side. The cloth that wrapped around his waist and hung down, exposing one of his thighs, made her recall Aquarian women. She glanced down. She wasn't wearing much different. When he moved his head slightly, offering no response other than a menacing glare, she saw a long chord of wrapped hair. She'd seen a similar style worn by other men, although it seemed similar to fashions considered femanine. Such as twin-braids. Perhaps it was more fashionable among men this way? That didn't matter. The man still had a death gaze on her.

"I am not one of those weaklings," he finally said disdainfully. The woman shook her head, puzzled more and more by the slender yet arrogant man. Although slender in build, his exposed and toned midriff bore witness to a body well in shape, and hiding a tightly woven strength.

"Neither am I." She responded shortly. Leaning her head back, she expelled a sigh from her chest. She just had to wait for now. Once she knew the situation better, she would be able to get herself back to her quest. Anger surged through her, causing her head to jerk to the side slightly. She was so close! Then those soldiers apprehended her. How could she have let her guard down? She glanced up at the man, his body relaxed and balanced between gravity and shackles with no exertion of his muscles. He really did not look like much in spite of his arrogant, and insulting, attitude. After a simple "hmph" from the occupant, silence fell on both of them.


	2. Chapter 2: Albel

**A/N:** If you are about to yell 'continuity error' at me, since in the game, Albel is found in the torture chamber, not in one of the cells, then go ahead and do so. I slapped my own face when I realized that. However, I'll find a way around it.

* * *

**Chapter 2: _Albel_**

"There, grab her. I'd like to sink my teeth into a new toy!" came a voice. She lifted her head slowly, as the heavy barred door swung open. She narrowed her eyes as two armored men entered the room, heading for her. _So, they've come for me_. She lifted her chin, staring into the dark visors of their helmets, not with defiance, but dignity. However, she was less dignified as she was hauled off. She didn't kick or scream, it is just a great difficulty to be dignified when one's feet are bound together, and forced to walk, or rather, hop with a sword to one's back.

As she was lead down the dank corridor, she noticed the abundance of prisoners in the other cells. Most of them, no doubt, were war or political prisoners, as opposed to actual criminals. Then there was her. She concluded, from her cellmate's assumption of her being an Aquarian, that she was a prisoner of war. A war she was neither engaged nor interested in.

The door to the torture chamber opened before her. Her restraints were moved so that her arms could be spread, and suspended by chains and shackles. She grit her teeth, knowing what was to come. She growled at the human tradition of inflicting needless pain on each other for something as unsubstantial as what they want to hear. She knew that she'd be interrogated until she said what they wanted to hear, rather than the truth. She sunk into herself, wishing she could be free from her human coil, leaving behind the undesirable traits, and heightening their few redeeming features. With the crack of a whip, and the grab of her jaw, she was thrown back into the present situation. She stared face to face with a leather mask, with a large zipped across where the mouth ought to be, like a row of hundreds of malicious teeth.

"I said, what is your name!? Not that you'll remember it by the time I'm through with you…" the muffled, gritty voice poured out from beneath the mask. She pulled her chin away, staring at the stout, wide man. He was wide, but not very tall. His wideness was not a result of lazy days wasted, but appeared to be from a healthy diet of meat and exercise. Of course, that exercise likely resulted in the pain of others.

"Bella Lecross," she said sourly. His grubby, gloved fingers let go of her chin, and she shook her head, as if trying to shake the filth off of her face. This seemed to disappoint him, but he then began with his next question, hoping she'd be defiant in order to warrant a lashing of his whip.

"What business do Aquarians have at the Bequerel mines!?" he demanded. Bella shrugged, as best as someone in shackles can.

"I don't know. I didn't see any Aquarians while I was there," Bella responded shortly; wise crack for a whip crack. Was it worth it? Her ability to stifle the cry of pain told stories of how much it was worth it.

"Don't get smart with me!" his grungy voice warned, although it lacked the passion of one who is insulted. Instead, his warning almost sounded like a plead for more. Several new stinging lacerations stretched across her body as he demanded again to know what the Aquarians were planning - and how much they knew of Airyglyph's plans.

"I don't know any of that useless information!" she insisted. It became a repetitive encounter, with the demand of the same question, or one like it, and the same answer, followed by physical punishment. It was painful, but pain was something that she had devoted herself to overcome. However, in her devotion, she learned it was impossible to overcome it. One can only hope just to understand and manage it. Eventually the pain would be so great that it would cause her wretch and vomit. Even after that sicekning ordeal, she would likely collapse. Nonetheless, she would not die, and the pain would eventually return to the background. Thus was the philosophy she played through her mind during the interrogation.

"Well, then what were YOU doing there?" the man finally asked, clueing in that rephrasing the question, even if slightly, might get results. After all, he needed to eventually get some results to keep up the integrity of his work. Bella fought to lift her head, and stare into the two holes in his mask.

"Dragons…" was all of her response, before her head fell, while her eyes rolled upwards. Everything went black. Again.

* * *

Bella stirred again, back in her cell, with her arms bound behind her. Her feet were free this time. It puzzled her, but she had no complaints. Her thighs stung from being whipped. She looked down at the angry red lines that interrupted the tattoos she took such pride in. She was not particularly vain, but seeing the patterns messed like that caused her to express open displeasure. At least, it must have been open; otherwise she would not have received a remark from her _graciously_ _pleasant_ and _hospitable_ cellmate.

"Fool, if you just told them you'd have an easy way out…" he seemed to trail off, withholding a second portion of his remarks. Bella raised her head, staring at him, waiting patiently. She could see in the twisted way the corners of his lips upturned in a wicked smile that he had more to say. "..they'd simply kill you then."

Bella shook her head, her coppery hair falling over her eyes. Death was not her destination. She'd rather hurt than die. It would seem a waste if she laid down and died, and for what? Lying to say what someone wants to hear? She glanced up at the man. "Death is not an option."

"Is that so?" he asked, in a mocking tone. "You don't have any options, fool. It's either die slowly and painfully, or die quickly. It's simple…" Bella rolled her stiff shoulders. If she could just get her full range of motion back, she could…

"Simple, hm? " she responded. Whatever muscles she could move or flex, she began to stretch. Groans and hisses pressed past her lips as she did so. She could feel the heat and sting course through her body, but she was determined not to wait much longer. She had been patient long enough, but the truth that she could not stand restraints pressing against her. With her leather armor removed, it would be easy to at least relieve one of her problems.

Slowly, she curled herself tight, in a slightly crouched position. Carefully, she leaned back until her bound hands touched the ground. Through an amazing feat of flexibility and balance, she put one foot, and then the other, through the loop created by her tied-together arms. With a sickening crack from her shoulders, she brought her bound hands now in front of herself.

"Fool, do you really think you can escape?" came that voice again. Bella glanced over at him. Something had been bothering her, and now it began to manifest in her mind. He was terribly out of place. She frowned, holding her hands in front of her, examining the leather straps tied tightly to her wrists.

"My body is too exhausted to make it past soldiers, and flee to where it is safe. I just hate restraints. I'll wait until this resolves itself." She brought the leather straps to her mouth, and grimaced as she began to gnaw at them. This warranted a piteous shake of the head from the other occupant.

"So you're just going to wait here and die?" he asked. She flashed him a look, a smile riding on her lips.

"You said it was simple - either I die fast, or die slowly. I prefer to die comfortably if at all," she responded in a milky tone. Her mouth was then occupied once more with the removal of the straps, putting to work her abnormally sharp canines and bicuspids. She could feel his eyes on her as she worked at it. Eventually, she managed to tear her hands apart, and let them rest at her side with a relieved sigh. Bella stood up, and stretched her arms up in the air. _Triumph_! She walked over to the single slab-for-a-bed and sat on it, staring back at the man.

"…I don't imagine I could get a name out of you, or why you are here?" she asked. As much as she prided herself on patience, she needed a distraction from the pain. There was going to be long periods of stinging, aching, and discomfort. At least there was someone to talk to, even if every other word was an insult or a scoff.

"You don't know?" his voice indignantly crept out of his chapped lips. He closed his eyes as he took some time to consider that perhaps his name isn't so well known. Bella merely shook her head.

"No. I do not bother with politics, wars, or commerce between cities," Bella responded. She turned and stretched her legs out in front of her atop the hard bed.

"I see…" he finally said, his eyes still averted. He lowered his head and passively leaned against the pull of the chains. Bella waited a moment or two in silence. She wasn't a social person by nature, but she also wasn't used to confinement. Lest she lose herself, all that self discipline and calm exterior she worked to gain, she conceded to practicing her insubstancial social skills. As out of practice they were, it was embarrassing how easily it came to her.

"Well, then who are you?" Bella finally asked. He lifted his head and looked at her. She regarded him with a neutral expression, emphasized by the tattoos that scrawled down her cheeks.

"The name is Albel," came his short reply.

"Albel," Bella repeated, letting the syllables work their way into her memory. She raised a hand to her chin, trying to recall if, during her times spent in the cities, she'd heard the name. Something seemed familiar… but… other than that nagging feeling of familiarity, she could not place anything to the name, or his fine-featured face.

"My name is Bella Lecro-," she slowly responded.

"I don't care what your name is, worm!" her interrupted rudely. Bella stared at Albel. It wasn't a glare, just merely a stare. "You won't, either, when you've been here long enough," he said in a slightly softer, yet somehow more menacing, tone. Bella continued to stare at him with an unchanged expression.

"Why are you here? Criminal charges? Or are you here because of this war?" Bella asked, clenching her teeth. The aching from straining her battered muscles was returning with a throbbing vengeance.

"I'm not just any lowly, criminal scum," he responded in a low growl. Bella waited for further explanation, but none ever came. She watched him as he hung there, his head lowered, casting a veil of shadows over his face. He continued to remain silent. Bella sighed. This plan of socializing to pass the time was not very fruitful thus far. Bella decided on a better, and more familiar, alternative. Sleep.


	3. Chapter 3: Failure

**Author's Note:** I had to use a simpler means to type this chapter, and thus, had no spell check. Although I gave it a brief read-over, there are probably a lot of horrendous spelling and grammar mistakes. Bare with me. Look forward to a little bit of action this chapter - and some enlightenment about Bella in the NEXT chapter.

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**Chapter 3: _Failure_**

Bella stirred at the sound of some sort of commotion. Incoherent clanks and voices swirled around her, as she drifted through an estuary between reality and dreams. Her eyes fluttered open, and her ears became receptive to the sounds, her mind filtering and processing it more accurately. With a yawn, she got up off the stiff bed and walked over to the bars. It was hard to see anything, but from what she could tell, a lot of the prisoners were being moved. Were they being let go, or were they heading to a mass execution? Bella curled in her lips, wondering if they would come for her? If they did, she braced herself to prepare for a fight. She was not going to die.

Bella turned to see if Albel we still there. Sure enough, there he hung, with his head down. She shook her head and walked a little closer, but out of leg's reach. His feet weren't chained - he might just kick her.

"What's going on?" she asked. No reply came. She leaned a little closer, watching his chest carefully. She watched it as it slowly rose and fell, in an almost lethargic rhythm. "…Asleep." She shook her head and edged away quietly. She returned to standing by the bars, watching shadows cast against the stone floor, and opposing wall, and straining her ears to hear what may just be happening. A pair of shadows drew closer, synchronized with the sound of nearing footsteps. Two guards stepped in front of her cell. One looked at the other, and then called out to someone down the corridor.

"What about this one?" he asked.

"Who, Albel? What about that traitor? I wouldn't want to be the one to fetch him…" came a voice from the hall.

"No, the woman!" the guard repeated. Bella sighed, watching them. One of the two guards was staring at her, while the other worked out what was to be done - whatever that may be.

"What woman? Oh… wait a moment…" Bella listened as things went silent and footsteps echoed away. Now both the guards were looking in at her.

"Hey… shouldn't she be in restraints… or something?" one guard asked the other while awaiting a response. The other guard, whom was shorter and rounder, shrugged.

"She's behind bars; what else matters?" he replied in a gruff tone. The taller one, whose armor did not quite seem to fit right, shook his head.

"She's staring at us."

"Yeah, and she can hear us too. Who cares? At least she's not begging us to let her out… that always gets old."

"Uh… yeah… um… does she have horns… or am I seeing things?" At this moment Bella sighed and stepped away from the bars, while the other guard leaned closer for a better look.

"Nope. See? They're attached to that band 'round her head. Yup, she's just an ordinary woman. Nothin' to worry about…"

"Good… because I ain't about to mess with something that might be from Sanmite. Them rabbit types are friendly enough… but I'm a bit wary of the rest of 'em…" muttered the taller, lankier guard. Bella began to pace as the two guards continued to talk about what sorts of monstrous humanoids they heard about that came out of Sanmite. Then the one began talking about how his daughter wants a Flau girl, and they began to mutter about the children of the day. Bella was biting her tongue to hold in all of their inaccurate ramblings about the humanoids from the Sanmite Republic.

"Hey!" came a voice from down the corridor.

"Yes sir!" they both saluted.

"Leave her there. She claims she isn't from Aquaria, so, we'll take her up on it. Heh…" the voice instructed. The two men saluted, nodded, and the lanky man gave one last glance into the cell at Bella, and then the both of them began to walk down the corridor.

"Hate to see a woman behind bars… I'd rather see 'em in the kitchen. Those Aquarians have some strange ideas, letting their woman fight and do research and all that… it ain't right. Poor thing probably scared - if they had any sense like us, they'd keep their women at home, and safe! It just ain't right," the lanky man said, his voice getting fainter as he continued out of the dungeon.

"I'd rather see 'em in my bed!" cracked the gruffer of the two guards, and a chorus of laughter followed. It slowly trailed off until there was silence. Bella folded her arms, letting the silence soak into her - until it was dried up by that crisp voice.

"Hmph, fools," came the dry tone of Albel. Bella glanced over.

"So you are awake," she commented, with little tone or inflection in her voice.

"You expect me to be able to sleep through their idiotic drivel?" he responded, turning his head to glance at the bared door. Bella turned fully to Albel, her head tilted to the side, a slight look of curiosity forming upon her face.

"You disagree that a woman's place is in the kitchen?" Bella asked. She had pegged him as a chauvinist, but perhaps he wouldn't be labeled quite so easily. Bella did not mind this at all.

"It isn't a matter of man or woman! Either you are strong, or weak," he responded. Bella took a few steps closer, her thoughtful expression remaining. He slowly turned his head to look at her with his earthy red eyes.

"Precisely," Bella agreed once she had his attention. She stared at him, unblinking, trying to fill in a new analysis of this man, and paint a new picture of him with this new information. It gave her something to do rather than mope over her current situation. "While I agree women… do not have the fighting capability of most men… women can still be very strong, and even more ruthless." She shook her head, allowing a smile to creep onto her face. "When it comes to beasts, usually the women are the most feared. The males have the drive to be constantly aggressive, but the females, though at times docile, when provoked, are more ferocious, capable, and frightening. That doesn't matter though! Out there, it isn't a matter of social standing, gender, or even age - it's a matter of the strong survive, and the weak fall as their prey…"

"Hmph, looks like you may have some sense in that head of yours," Albel conceded. Bella turned, and began to pace in front of him.

"However," she added sharply, glancing at him momentarily, before beginning to pace again. "However… it is also the duty of the strong to protect their own - even if their own are weak. A female's strength is usually found when protecting her young. The strong slay the weak that have no protector… and it isn't wrong to need to be protected from time to time. It isn't wrong to find strength in numbers, either… I imagine… relying on another's help shouldn't be seen as a weakness…" she said, eyeing him carefully. Yes, he could be useful indeed.

"Bah! Protecting the weak will only get you killed…" Albel growled bitterly, his eyes darkening.

"Yes…" she said, stalling the 's' while trying to think on how to phrase her next sentence, "…sometimes the weak hold you back… but to die fighting for something - or someone- you believe in isn't a loss, but a gain. It's a little trite, but the cliché's became well known for a reason. They must have some sort of basis to the idea," Bella responded. She had found a topic he was more receptive to. Even if she could not use him to escape, at least now he was engaging her mind until her opportunity arrived. Nonetheless, if she said what she think he wanted to hear, even an ally as abrasive of him would be beneficial until she got back on track.

"A basis, or a cult following of fools? Just because everyone believes in something doesn't mean it has any truth in it - it just means people are weak, and need to hold on to idiotic ideals!" Albel retorted. A severe edge in his voice brought him out of the passive scorn he treated her with before. "Ideals don't get you fed, keep you warm, or keep you safe!"

"I would tolerate someone ardently holding to a stupid belief more than someone with no ambition or beliefs at all." Bella lowered her head. _This is more like me. I've been trying too hard, and saying too many words. Perhaps this isn't as simple as I first thought…I've spent too much time alone._

Albel lifted his head, and turned it towards the dungeon door again. He stared silently for a moment, then his eyes slowly slid to glance over at Bella. "What would a worm like you know?" he said quietly.

"I know what I want, and that is all that matters," Bella responded decisively. Albel shook his head, and said nothing more. Bella waited a few moments in silence. When it was obvious he had ended the conversation, she walked over to the bed and sat down. She needed a way to pass the time. She was too wide-awake to just sleep some more. She glanced around at the walls. The room seemed smaller somehow. She had avoided paying attention to the walls this far, but now there was nothing else to focus on. She took in a deep breath, holding in the air, as if savoring it. _No, _she told herself, _the walls aren't shrinking. It's just my imagination. Now is not the time to get claustrophobic. _She turned her head away from the wall, and let her eyes fall on Albel. He was restrained, and she wasn't. As long as she kept reminding herself of that, it made her feel a little less trapped.

"What are you looking at, worm?" Albel finally asked. Before Bella could state a response, a large clatter interrupted. She turned her head to stare at the dungeon door, listening carefully. Indignant shouts echoed through the walls.

"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" was one of the more popular shrieks of outrage. Scuffling feet, and heavy metal clanks made their way down the corridor. Dungeon doors were being opened and shut, at least, from the sounds of things. Bella walked over and grasped the cell bars in her hands. Eventually some heavily armored guards stepped in front of her door.

"Move away from the door!" one of them ordered. Bella complied, stepping away. The door was opened, and two men came in. Bella stood absolutely still, watching every moment. It didn't seem like anything was happening fast enough, as her mind raced over the possibilities. Were they here for her or Albel? Was someone going to die? Was someone going to be set free? Many more thoughts flew around in her mind, ricocheting off the inside of her skull.

The men stood in front of Albel, glancing hesitantly at each other for a moment. Bella took another step back, watching this interaction carefully. Maybe this was her opportunity. Her eyes darted to the door. One guard was still standing outside. Perhaps she could take him down, and run. How far would she get, though?

"Come on, you're being moved to a more… private location," one of the guards said, detaching the chains from the walls. Albel stared at them coldly.

"What?" he asked. The guards paused again.

"…Just come quietly." One finally said, the chains in his hand like a leash.

"Hmph… maggots," Albel muttered, but did not exert any aggression. Bella was mildly surprised, almost hoping he'd crate a diversion for her. Was that it? Was her possible escape plan to be crumbled? Bella grit her teeth. No, now was her chance. It wasn't a GOOD chance, but this was it. Glowing symbols began to swirl around her hand. She sprung her body into action, dashing past the guards towards the door. The guard on the outside yelled at her to halt, raising a weapon. Fiercely, she unleashed a sturdy stream of lightening at him, forcing him back against the opposing wall. She turned and raced down the corridor. There were more guards, ready with their weapons as a reaction to the commotion. Unleashing a frightful growl, she stopped in her tracks. Again, a gentle glow in the form of swirling runes began to form.

"Get her before she finishes casting!" yelled one of the guards, and immediately they charged at her. It was a race against time, but before the lashing sword and reaching gauntlets seized her, three spheres of fire shot out at their faces, the licks of fire passing through the slits in their helmets. Horrible sounds of pain resulted, and Bella again raced down the corridor.

There were more guards, but she didn't have time to cast another spell. Instead she leaned forward, making herself as small and low to the ground as possible while she ran. Relying on her agility, she wove around guards - but not unscathed. Steel caught her unprotected arm, resulting in a sharp, liquid pain. She had already sprinted a few meters before she even realized the pain, and stumbled. Seeing the door a few feet away, she recovered from the hit and charged. The door burst open as she threw her body into it. A guard behind a desk quickly jumped to his feet.

"A PRISONER IS ESCAPING!" he hollered, grabbing for an axe. Bella slid sidewise, putting her back to the wall, her amber eyes leering at the guard, whom now was advancing at her. Again runes lit up in the air, but this time not by her hands. A smaller archaic circle appearing in front of her mouth, rapidly spinning. It produced a sturdy, widespread stream of fire that caught the guard. He howled with pain as he was cooked within his metal shell. Bella heard the clank of the axe hitting the ground. Once the fire cleared, she seized the axe, and head through another door. She skidded to a stop, seeing a large empty room. There was a hatch leading downwards. She glanced around at statues between pillars and arches.

"What…? A dead end…" she muttered. She swung around to charge through the door - but never made it through. Hard metal pressed against her throat, knocking her off balance, causing her to lose grip of the axe. The impact knocked the wind out of her, and she was left unable to breath for a terrifying moment, and she heard the distant clank of metal off in some distant corner. Just as the spots in her vision began to clear, she felt something heavy come down hard on her chest. She glanced up at leg, and then slowly followed it further, puzzlement forming in her mind as she recognized the man. Her eyes snapped to the chains hanging down from her assailant.

"Lord Albel!" a voice exclaimed. _Lord… Albel? _Bella could scarcely believe she was tricked… was he never a prisoner to begin with? Her ears listened to the voice from behind Albel. "Don't think heroics like that will get you acquitted of your charges!"

"Heroics? Don't make me laugh, fool," came the droll of his voice as he turned his head. He shook his head, then stared down coldly at Bella. "I've just been dying for some sport…" His eyes narrowed, looking almost disappointed down at her. He scoffed and removed his foot from her chest. Bella quickly began to try and jump up - but wasn't fast enough to avoid the swift kick to her head from Albel. All went black.


	4. Chapter 4: Fortune

**Author's Note**: This is a very short chapter - it's purely dialogue. Oh wait, most of them have been dialogue thus far. That's just my style. For those who like to learn about a character (back-story mainly) this is a great story. For those bored by such things… well… you'll probably be disappointed. Read it anyway.

* * *

**Chapter 4: _Fortune_**

The pounding was barely bearable. Dull, assertive pain throbbed throughout her skull. It was the welcome party of consciousness, followed by the awareness of the inability to move limbs. Bella's eyes peeled open, letting out a groan. There was tightness around her entire torso. She again tried to move her arms, but they would not budge from behind. She glanced down. Several leather straps were tightly bound about her torso, like some sort of harness. She let out a sound that was both plaintive and frustrated.

"So you are awake, are you?" came a male voice. Bella turned her head around frantically, looking for the source. A man, well into his years, sat on a chair in the cell with her, a guard attending him. Bella just stared at him, his features obscured by the dim lighting. She struggled to at least get her feet beneath her, and sit upright. "Tell me, girl, what is your name?"

"Bella Lecross," she responded instantly. She wriggled and rolled her shoulders, trying to get some slack in her restraints.

"Lecross…? That name sounds somewhat familiar…" the voice said. There was a pause, and then a comprehensive sound was made. "Ah, yes, I remember one Brandt Lecross, whom was an author of some anthropology books… I believe he studied in the Sanmite republic, writing on the cultures of various humanoids? You wouldn't have any relation, would you?"

"He was… is my father," Bella said, quickly correcting herself. She had failed to escape, and was left only with compliance now. She hung her head.

"That is quite a surprise… what would the daughter of an Aquarian author be doing all the way here in Airiglyph? It seems quite a ways away from the comfortable living he could offer. His books didn't make him famous or rich, but I imagine, it got him some profit," the man inquired. Bella frowned, knitting her eyebrows in puzzlement.

"I doubt you are here for my personal story… what do you want? Just ask it, I have nothing to hide," Bella said. There was a pause, and then the man leaned forward, steepling his fingers.

"I want to know precisely what I asked. Why did you come all this way, Bella?" the man asked. She hadn't heard her name said by anyone but herself for such a long time. Bella shifted uncomfortably.

"I was on my ways to the mountains of Barr… but some sounds from Bequerel mine distracted me, and I went to investigate," Bella answered truthfully. She squinted at the man. He had a heavy, prominent forehead and brow, which caused his eyes to still just be too loops of shadow, gradually running into the highlights on his ill-defined cheeks. His large nose stuck out, and then hooked downward, hovering over his upper lip. After this glimpse of him, he leaned back again.

"The mountains of Barr? I'd ask if you were going to take up your father's profession and write, perhaps, a book about something there… but…" he glanced at the guard, and the guard produced something that reflected the light. Bella shot her torso forward, almost losing balance and falling on her face. "…it looks like you were expecting a fight."

"I…" Bella began to say, but was hushed gently by the man.

"You already showed us you aren't an innocent, defenseless bystander caught up in the war by accident. Several of our men are still recovering from the wounds you gave them." He passed the clawed gauntlets back to the guard, who set them away. "You would have been released if you'd waited patiently."

"I… I had hoped so… but…" Bella shook her head. She almost felt apologetic for the guards she hurt, under the gentle yet firm reproach of this man's voice. "It seemed clear to me that fairness and justice weren't available to anyone who sat by and waited for it."

"I can understand. Perhaps you felt it was unfair that you were tortured…" the man said. "For a man who boasts about getting any man, all he could get from you was your name, and the word 'dragons'. I am here to continue where he left off, since he has been relieved of his duties." The man let out a long sigh, resting his hands upon his lap. He looked fairly relaxed, and ready for a long session. Bella glanced around.

"This isn't… an interrogation room…" Bella observed. The man nodded.

"No, it is occupied by the previous occupant of your cell," he explained. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Albel?" she asked, with more of a hopeful tone than she would have liked.

"It would seem so… due to the amount of prisoners, and since we don't have anyone using the facilities of that room anymore, it might as well be used as a place for prisoners," the man patiently explained. Bella took in a deep breath.

"I… see…" Bella responded. There was a moment of silence. Not a single movement came from the man.

"Alright then, child. How about you continue on from the word 'dragons'. What does the word mean to you?" he asked. Bella remained quiet, considering the situation. She knew that Airyglyph prided itself for its armies trained to ride on dragons. She wondered if, perhaps, even if she wasn't an Aquarian, if her trespassing into dragon territory, would be an offense. However, she already claimed she had nothing to hide. She lowered her head, and took in a deep breath.

"I was seeking out dragons," Bella explained. There was a pause.

"For what reason?" he asked.

"I have a flaw… a weakness…" Bella muttered. The man listened intently, giving her ample time to explain further. "I have an obsession… with dragons…" Bella muttered, feeling the blood rush into her cheeks. There was a slight laugh from the man, sitting there.

"You call that a weakness? I suppose, if you would put yourself in danger to seek them out, perhaps, it is a flaw… but what would you do once you met a dragon?" The man asked, there being a lift of spirits in his voice.

"I… I want to learn to be like them," Bella said, her ears burning hot.

"Hmm… you caused quite a commotion when you tried to escape. Although things were confusing, several witnesses swear that you breathed fire, like a dragon. It would seem that you are doing your best to be like them already," the voice said pleasantly.

"It was just my own… method of runology… to emulate dragon's breath," Bella admitted.

"Still fairly… unique. Also, I gather, your love of dragons has to do with your appearance. The light may be dim, and these eyes are fading, but I could not help but notice the horned headdress, or the fact that you incorporated dragon runes amidst the runological tattoos," the man observed. Bella shifted within her restraints.

"Sir… are you going to let me go, or are you going to punish me? I do not have any information useful to you or your kingdom," Bella finally said.

"Hold your tongue!" sputtered the guard. The man put a hand out.

"Easy… the girl has a point. I needn't waste my time or hers with casual conversation. If you had not tried to force your way out, you would already be a free woman. However, as it stands, the crimes you have committed cannot be ignored. It wouldn't be justice to let you free without any repercussion, now, would it?" the man said. Bella lowered her head, baring her teeth in frustration. She knew she could have waited a little longer. She knew things would work themselves out. Why did she second-guess her instinct? A hiss passed through her curled back lips.

"Arg!" she exclaimed in her frustration. She hung her head low. What good was common sense or intuition if one does not listen? Bella chided herself with many harsh thoughts, while the man silently watched her.

"However," he said slowly. Bella quickly looked up at him, "you have the option of working off your time, rather than simply sitting here."

"What sort of work?" Bella asked warily.

"With a recent battle causing many casualties, injured warriors of the dragon brigade have not been able to care for their dragons - and the dragons are also recovering and not taking as good care of themselves. The stable hands who are used to lum are simply too afraid to approach them. You would be responsible for meeting their needs until they and their riders are back to full health," the man explained. Bella listened with increasing interest.

"I am grateful for this alternative… but it is hardly a punishment for me. I also could bring harm to the dragons for revenge… or run away…" Bella responded. There had to be a trick, for she felt this man was no fool. Keeping the faults of the offer to herself appealed to her at first, however, she decided it was worth making sure there wasn't something hideous waiting in the shadow of this man's mind.

"If what you say is true, you would never bring harm to a dragon for such a petty cause," the man responded. Bella was about to repeat that she'd probably be able to flee, but a subtle change in the man's expression caught her eye, and halted the words in her throat. She let out a breath instead, and nodded.

"Yes, sir," she said instead. Bella could scarcely believe her good fortune. However, she wasn't going to rush into a fit of bliss yet. Good things did not just happen without misfortune waiting in the shadows, waiting to attack. She had to continue to be guarded - for nothing is ever as good as it seems.

"Good. We will be needing less bodies filling these cells, with all those guilty of war crimes being brought in. I'm afraid until we are done various investigations and weed it down to the true criminals, it will be a very full dungeon," the man said, rising to his feet. The guard beside him bowed, and then escorted him out. The man lingered in the doorway. "Someone will be by later to retrieve you, and instruct you on how to go about your tasks." With that final statement, he left. The iron door shut behind him, and she heard the click of a lock. It didn't have the same mundane echo as before. The situation was moving towards improvement.


	5. Chapter 5: Freedom

**Author's Note**: Chapter 5 is a milestone when writing… for me at least. Also, if you haven't noticed, if you rearrange the letters in Bella's name, it spells Albel. No, they aren't going to be long-lost relatives or anything silly like that. Bella's original design looked like a cheap knock-off of Albel (mixed with a bit of Nel and some original elements, like the horned headdress). So I named her Bella as a bit of a slap in my own face for the shameful lack of originality.

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**Chapter 5: _Freedom_**

No matter how hard she scrubbed, she could not get the gunk off of her hands. Bella had just returned from oiling a dragon's scales. Usually that was not a problem, but a soldier in a hurry had bulled her over into some fresh droppings. The oil and manure had an undesirable reaction to each other, and now it seemed as though she could not get herself clean. She had wondered why those soldiers seemed in such a hurry. She didn't hear much, but from what she could tell, the King of Airyglyph and the Queen of Aquaria were arranging a meeting. The King had just left with his escorts. What was so urgent that these other soldiers needed to do?

Her hands were getting red and cracked at the knuckles. Bella sighed and dried off her stinging - and stinking - hands. As majestic as dragons are, they are creatures, and therefor, have not so graceful bodily functions. Part of her job was cleaning up after them. Since they were fairly intelligent, they at least chose a spot to deposit bodily waste. It made it easier for her, since she didn't have to go looking for it. Bella held out her hands with her fingers spread as she walked out of the washing chamber. Her greasy hair hung in her face and clung to her sweaty cheek. She' would brush it away, but she did not want to touch her hair until she felt cleaner. Now in the corridor, she could smell a savory fragrance wafting from the kitchen. This mocked her further, as the though of touching food with her hands like this made her feel queasy. She'd been covered in filth before, and had to eat poorly prepared food in the wilderness, but this was beyond what she would tolerate.

"Bella, finished for the day?" came a voice. She glanced over, seeing one of the maids. She held a bundle in her arms. "Come with me," she said. Bella blinked a few times, and then followed. The Maid led her to a discrete corner, in a part of the palace that seldom held any occupants. Bella stared at the maid inquiringly.

"What is this about?" Bella asked in a whisper. She wasn't sure WHY she was whispering, but it somehow seemed appropriate. The Maid set down the bulky bundle, and unrolled a cloth that covered it. Laid out before her now was her equipment. Bella could scarcely believe, nor understand, what was happening. Well, she could see that her items were fetched, and were being given back - but as to why this maid had them to give her puzzled her.

"I was told to give these to you in secret. I don't ask questions, I just do what I'm told. I'm also to tell you there's a weakness in the far corner of the wall of the northern training court… and it is fairly empty right now," the maid explained. Bella nodded. Someone was definitely looking out for her. It was a strange occurrence, since she was not one to have many connections, or make a favorable impression on people.

"Thank you," Bella responded. The maid nodded nervously.

"Just doin' my job," she muttered. She then whisked off to get back to her chores, lest her absence be noticed. Bella wrapped the gear up again, and threw it over her shoulder. Looking both ways, she walked as nonchalantly as possible down the corridor. Bella lifted her scarf up to cover most of her face. This wasn't unusual; she was cautioned to show as little of her face as possible. The runes on her face would only cause her trouble more often than not. Very few would accept an Aquarian working in the castle - even doing dirty tasks.

Bella made her way to the training ground to the north. There was a soldier practicing on a dummy and another who appeared to have dozed off nearby. When she was certain all attention was averted, she hurried over to the far corner. Sure enough, the mortar was crumbling, and there were some exploitable cracks in the wall. She glanced around, and then unrolled the bundle. She put on her gauntlets, and began to scratch and chip at the wall. Soon, a small hole, enough for her lithe body to barely slip through, was made. Pushing the rest of her gear through first, she got down on her stomach. The snow soaked her shirt, and she felt the cold right to her very core. She slid through as fast as she could. Her entire front was drenched, causing her teeth to chatter. She glanced at the wall of the castle. She was on the outside, at last. Bella crouched down, carefully taking up her equipment once again, and began to run into the city. She didn't run because she was fleeing, she ran because she was cold and needed to warm up.

After dashing about the streets and alleyways of the city of Airiglyph, she came to an old chapel. Drenched, cold, and tired, she pushed the door open. From what she could tell, it was empty at the moment. However, footprints of different sizes in the dust indicated that it wasn't entirely abandoned. Bella walked between two pews, and crouched down. She took off her wet shirt, wringing out the wetness. She peeked her head over the pew to make sure she was still alone. Satisfied that she had her privacy, she changed into her armor. She usually wore a shirt beneath the hard leather cuirass, and so her wet cold skin wasn't used to the rough texture. It rubbed uncomfortably, and as Bella pulled on her greaves and other equipment, then set back out into the cold streets, friction rashes began to form all over her torso.

The idea of curling up under a thick blanket by a fire appealed to Bella. However, she knew she had no access to such a luxury. She had no money and no connections in Airyglyph. She could only look forward to sleeping on the hard ground with a rolled up cloth as a pillow, and canvas laid beneath her. She had never had any intention of heading this far into the mountains, and into the harsh, cold climates. Bella wasn't sure if her absence would be noticed right away. Her eyes lingered on the sign of a tavern. Cold and desperate for some relief, Bella walked into the warm tavern.

"What'll it be sir-" the barman cut himself short. He'd seen the glint of metal out of the corner of his eye, and began talking before getting a look at his newest customer. He cleared his throat, looking at Bella full on now. "…er miss."

"A pint of cheap ale," Bella said. The barman's eye lingered on her for a moment, before he grabbed a tin mug, and began to fill it from a large keg behind him. Bella leaned against the counter, tapping metal phalanges upon the bar top. She was aware of the stare she was getting from the man beside her, who had an air of importance. Perhaps it was the full plate armor he was wearing that made him seem that way. Bella pulled her scarf up to try and mask the runes on her cheeks as much as possible, although she knew that she would have to take it off if she ever wanted to get that ale into her mouth.

"Here y'are miss," the bartender said, again, his eyes lingering on her. Then he shook his head and muttered as he returned to some typical barman task, which involved a rag. Bella unclasped and removed one of her gauntlets, then grasped the hand of the mug in her bare hand. She was aware that her knuckles were cracked and bleeding, and taken out of the numbing cold, they began to sting. Bella stared straight ahead while sipping her drink; her scarf was now lowered. She was deliberately avoiding eye contact with the man beside her, hoping to avoid any trouble. It seemed to be working, as the both of them continued to drink in silence.

"Those are some interesting gauntlets," a voice said behind her. Bella calmly put down her mug, and turned her head to find the source of the voice. A somewhat young man with a long face and spectacles stared back at her. Wisps of dark hair peeked out of a cloth headdress. His eyes shifted from between her and the gauntlet on the counter before her.

"What is interesting about them?" Bella asked. Other than some of the ornamental etching they had, there seemed to be nothing interesting about them. Or perhaps he was referring to the claw-like blades that extended from the knuckles.

"May I?" he asked, hovering his gloved hand over the gauntlet. Bella just nodded consent. He picked it up, and examined it with scrutiny. Bella merely kept an eye on him as she nursed her drink. He turned it over, running his finger along it, knitting his eyebrows together. Finally he looked at Bella. "I see the intended design… but I can see where it can be improved," He nodded, his eyes going to Bella's bleeding knuckles. "Also, for practical reasons, perhaps some hide lining." He ran his finger carefully along the claws. "These are used as a weapon, not just armor, correct?"

Bella merely nodded her head. She wasn't quite certain as to why he took such an interest in her gauntlets. However, she had a sneaking suspicion that he was trying to lure her into spending money. Bella dipped her finger into the mug, swirling the golden contents. _Unlucky for him, I'm broke. _She brought out her finger and licked it. "Before you proceed, I'll tell you now that I do not have any funding for you."

The man jerked his head back, taken aback by her bluntness. His shoulders sagged, setting the gauntlet down. "I see…" he said quietly. He shook his head. "No matter," he said, managing to offer a polite smile. "My name is Lias… if you ever do have the time and money, I'd be happy to make you better, more practical gauntlets. Perhaps even with spring loaded retractable claws. It would be a refreshing challenge." He nodded politely to Bella.

"I'll keep that in mind…" Bella responded slowly. She tilted her head back, draining the last dregs of her pint. The bartender eyed her.

"Will you be wanting another, or are you gonna pay up now?" he asked. Bella rested her elbows on the counter, looking as though lost in thought. Lias stepped beside her, catching the bartender's attention.

"I'll pay for the lady," he offered politely. Bella smiled triumphantly. It wasn't as though she planned on trying to get someone to pay for her - her plan involved a bit more violence and intimidation. However, this was a more peaceful, less messy outcome.

"Thank you," Bella said to Lias. He smiled politely as he put a small amount of fol on the counter. The bartender swept it up and put it into his apron, watching the two for a lingering moment.

"You're welcome. Don't forget to return here if you ever want some practical, customized equipment," he said. Bella nodded. The idea appealed to her, but she had no intention of ever returning to this city. She couldn't help but think that he didn't look like much of a blacksmith. His frame wasn't burly enough, and he carried himself with the air of a scholarly person rather than a tradesman. However, she was not going to doubt him. There are many who are not what they seem at a first glance.

"My name is Bella," Bella offered. She wasn't sure how to really show a reasonable amount of gratitude for the kind gesture. She knew how to humble herself before someone deserving of worship and unconditional adoration, but the minor exhibit of appreciation was lost on her. However, she at least knew it was a common courtesy to introduce yourself.

"A pleasure," Lias said. He laced his fingers together and rested them on the counter. He declined when the bartender asked if he'd like anything. Bella wondered if perhaps he just came here, knowing many soldiers stopped in for a break, to solicit his services. It made sense to her. She grabbed her gauntlet and stood up.

"It was nice to meet you, Lias. However, I must continue my journey," Bella said. Yes, it was all coming back to her. It wasn't that her parents failed to teach her proper etiquette and social protocol, it was more or less that she'd not used it in some time. They exchanged polite nods to each other while she put on her gauntlet. Warm and refreshed for the long journey ahead, Bella left the tavern.


	6. Chapter 6: Kirlsa

**A/N**: I've made progress. Usually I can't get past chapter three when I start a story. Hurrah. For my first fic, I think it's going alright. I have not ripped my hair out in frustration. However, I do not think that Bella is a very likeable character. I'm sure people are just waiting for more Canon characters to hop in - don't worry, next chapter will feature Fayt, Nel, Cliff, Maria, and Albel. Also, there will be some tough dialogue to read in THIS chapter, mainly because I butchered a lot of words to imply an accent.

* * *

**Chapter 6: _Kirlsa_**

A smoggy haze hung over the mining town of Kirlsa. One could own it up to it being an industrial town; another could explain it by the recent catastrophe that occurred on the battlefield. Bella, however, didn't think much of it. All she thought about was that, after many long years, she was home. Moreover, she was relieved to have reached a warmer climate. Bella dismounted from the Lum that she had stolen on her way out of Airyglyph. She patted its neck, and ran her fingers over its horns. Finally she gave its rump a hardy smack. "Go find your home," she told it. It let out a whinny, and dashed away from her. Bella walked confidently through the gates of Kirlsa.

Kirlsa seemed a lot sleepier than she had remembered it being. Several men loitered around the buildings, not seeming to have anything to do. Overall, it had a run-down, oppressed feeling. Bella gently touched her hand to her chin in thought. While she knew there was a war going on, she imagined an industrial town would benefit from the conflict? When she left, there were worries of the copper vein finally running dry, but she hadn't paid much attention to it. _It can't be dry! _Bella reasoned with herself. _The interrogator mentioned someone making off with copper. _Bella felt something was terribly out of place.

Bella turned down the street of dirt that lead up to the house her mother used to live in. She'd lost contact with her mother, and wondered if she was still there, and still alive. Standing in front of the door, Bella hesitated to knock on the door. With her arm raised awkwardly, hovering in front of the door, she failed to hear someone trying to get her attention. At least, she didn't notice right away.

"I say, wot're you 'anging 'bout there fer?" came a voice. Bella turned around, seeing a stout, middle-aged woman. The woman shifted the basket she was carrying around to rest on her hip, so she that had one free hand. She used this hand to gesture while she talked. "Yeah, you! If yer lookin' fer ther woman that used ter live there, ya missed 'er by a year."

"A year? What happened?" Bella asked, turning fully around. The woman had her full attention.

"S'wot I said! A year!" the woman barked. She sighed, letting her gruff demeanor slide out of her countenance. She spoke with a softer voice. "Guess not yer fault… well 'en, she remarried, s'wot, an' moved ter Ar'glyph with 'er new 'usband."

Bella stared at the woman for a while. She could scarcely believe her mother had remarried. What was more, she had just gotten away from Airyglyph. To think she could have walked right past her own mother. Bella shook her head, looking down at her feet. "I see…"

"Now whatter ya lookin' so down fer? Pretty young lass like yerself got nuttin' ter be glum about!" the woman continued to say. She grunted and set down the covered basket, walking over to get a better look at Bella. "Say, yer lookin' bit famil'yar. Yeh wun't happen ter be tha wild child o' hers that up and left years back, would ya?"

"I am," Bella responded. _Wild child? _The label seemed to sting her a little, although she admitted it would suit her now.

"'Zat so? Well I'll be a drownin' duck! The rumors weren't a bit over 'xagerated t'all!" The woman gave Bella an appraising look. Bella raised an eyebrow. Perhaps feeling angry would be an appropriate response. However, all she experienced was curiosity.

"What rumors?" Bella asked. The woman laughed, perching her hands on her wide hips.

"Oh, all sorter things I be hearin' here'r'there. Been hearin' ya paid some smithy ter make ya some armor. T'ain't right fer a pretty young thing like yerself ter be getting' inter that sorter life. Oh, an' ther tattoos… tsk tsk! Getting' inter them wicked Aquarian runology, s'wot!" The woman shook her head with disapproval.

"Is that all?" Bella asked, somewhat disappointed. She'd imagined, at least, some of them were outlandish, exaggerated, or even outright cruel. Instead, they weren't really rumors, but the truth.

"Well, some said ya went ter go live in ther wild like some sorter beast! Other's said you was gone loopy! Dun seem much like ther ravin', frothin' crazy gal ter me, but I doubted 'em. Fact, ya a'ven't said much, but I kin tell yer an, wossname, in-tell-ect-yu-wall. Yanno, someone whose gotten some learnin'! Then 'gain, s'pose makes sense. Yer mum was sharp, an' if I remember, yer pa was some sorter scholarly type," the woman recounted. Her eyes fell on the basket. She bent over, picking it up in her thick, girthy arms. "Well, I best be getting' on with me chores! Ya still 'ave a chance ter be somethin' of a lady - dun throw it all away." With that, the woman waddled down the street. Bella watched her as she left, a smile on her face.

"Raving and frothing wild child, am I? I knew people didn't get any less foolish… to think I was doubting it for a moment." Bella shook her head, with a bitter-sweet sigh. It was unfortunate that her mother moved. Bella was looking forward to leeching a warm meal off of her. With that thought, Bella heard her stomach growl. Bella sighed. _I need to find some food…_

While Bella rotated the spit over a fire outside of Kirlsa, the news of her mother had time to settle in and digest. _So my mother remarried? How did she manage that, I wonder_? Bella prodded the chunk of meat with a knife. It wasn't done yet. She sighed, the smell of the meat cooking both repulsive and appetizing. _Did she lie about my Father? Claim he's dead? Or is he dead? _Bella quietly considered the possibilities. It had been a long time since she'd seen her mother, but even longer since she'd been in the company of her father. _My mother was always too hasty and selfish. To have taken me away from my father and move back to Kirlsa, where she grew up, was selfish enough. But now, she's remarried? I suppose she really can't stand being alone. _Bella cut off a piece of meat, chewing on the rough, sinewy morsel. Satisfied, she removed the meat from the spit, and eagerly began to eat.

After giving more thought to the news of her mother, and finishing her all-protein meal, Bella rose to her feet. Her parents were a thing of the past - and she had shed off her heritage. One day she would even shed the name Lecross, and on that day, the change would be complete. Remembering her distant goal, Bella prepared to achieve the closest stepping stone on her path to glory. She glanced at the soft bunny fur that she had set aside. She didn't expect too much fol from the hide, but all she needed was one or two new shirts, and a small travel-sized pot. The rest she could procure or make on her way.

The sun was setting by the time Bella had reached the base of the Mountains of Barr. She had been cautious so not to have a recurrence of encountering Airyglyph soldiers. It certainly helped that she hadn't seen any patrolling the area. It would seem the interest in securing this area had declined. Or perhaps, it was because of the amount of casualties in the war. Bella sighed as she set down her sack, and gathered what little kindling she could to start a fire. While tending the dragons, she had learned of some strong force that had obliterated troops impartially. Both sides suffered. This definitely would explain why her journey back to the Mountains of Barr was uneventful. _Whoever this third aggressor is, I owe them one._

After finishing a meal of bland stew, Bella rolled up her bag and spare clothes to make a pillow of sorts. After her time in the cold dungeon, she was certain she could sleep anywhere. Removing her armor and other gear, and setting them beside her makeshift pillow, she laid down. Once again she was almost at her next goal. She was unsure if she'd be accepted, or if it would all just be a wild goose chase, but she was not going to regret coming this far, whatever the outcome may be. Bella did her best not to think that her luck was about to run out, as she'd had a highly unusual amount of it lately. Instead, she turned her thoughts to more pleasant things: dragons. Entertaining herself with fantasies, she eventually fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7: Encounter

**A/N**: Get ready for a slightly longer chapter! Here we get to see a little more action, and as promised, canon characters. Will any of the fine bachelors (or bachelorettes) of Star Ocean 3 fall for her at first sight? Probably not. Bella hasn't showered in who knows how long! So far, I have been producing a chapter-a-day. What sort of maniac can keep that up? Not I.

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**Chapter 7: _Encounter_**

_At last, the mountains of Barr! _Anticipation surged through Bella. Just standing at its base in the early morning, she could see the flocks of dragons. Even if the one she was seeking was not here, it would be worth her time. Filling her lungs with the cool mountain air, she began to trek along the broad, rocky path. Eventually, it tapered to a narrow passage, with high-rising rock walls on either side. Before her some lesser dragons scurried about, in search of prey. Bella smiled as she watched the sunlight catch on its scales. As she stood there, gazing adoringly, the dragon lifted its head, and looked directly at her. Bella set down her belongings. The dragon was still and rigid. Bella braced herself. She loved dragons, but she knew some of the less intelligent ones were territorial. Still, perhaps she could evade a fight.

"[I am not an invader. Calm yourself. Calm yourself," she spoke, in a dialect understood by dragons. She hoped that she was speaking it correctly. It lowered its head menacingly, but then slowly rose it again. It tilted its head to the side, looking fairly curious. It took a few cautious steps forward, and tilted its head the other way. It lifted its snout, and seemed to sniff the air. "[Yes, calm. I am not an invader. I come in… in… Oh what is the word for peace?"

The dragon snapped its head back and growled. Bella put her hands out. "[Calm!" she repeated. It didn't seem to have any effect now. She could see its thigh muscles tensing as it prepared to launch. Bella quickly began to prepare a spell. It was a race against speed, as the dragon charged her. Right in front of her, now, with its momentum, it pulled back its head to whip out at her, with fangs bared. Just at that moment, the glowing circle released a chain of writhing lightening. The dragon was momentarily stunned, as the magical electricity surged through it. One could wonder if the elements born of runology were weaker than that which occurred naturally. Bella did not waste any time. She straightened her fist, and swung hard at the Dragon's neck, just below its jaw. Once that hit, her other hand followed, landing on the side of its face. The claws that protruded from the knuckle scratched its rough hide, causing it to howl with anger. It reeled back, filling its lungs with air, preparing to unleash a furious stream of flame. Bella had her own momentum on her side, as she swung a third time, striking it at the base of its throat. The wingless dragon lost its wind, and staggered back. Bella continued her advance, feeling she had the upper hand. She didn't account for its long tail swinging around and catching her foot. Bella stumbled and tripped, landing at the dragon's feet. She got a good look at its sharp talons, before it lifted one of its feet and struck her, hard, on her back. Bella bit her lip, avoiding making any sound,, other than an abrupt grunt. She reached out, and grabbed its other leg, thrusting the thumb of her gauntlet into a fleshy space beside its anklebone. It shrieked with pain. Bella did not like doing this, but her survival was more important than her love of dragons. It lifted the foot that kept her pinned, to bring it down and strike her again. Bella rolled out of the way and got into a crouched position.

There was a stall in the action. The dragon regarded her carefully, and she remained crouched, hoping it would just turn and flee. Her eyes watched its every move, its every nuance, carefully. One more aggressive move, and she was ready to spring into action. All she needed was the trigger. A gentle breeze blew, rustling her hair and cape, cooling the hot sweat that had formed on her face. The dragon continued to carry most of its weight on its good leg, barely touching the ground with the injured one. The only movement it made was a slow sway of its tail. Finally, Bella saw her queue. It pulled back its head, and its chest expanded once again. Bella charged at the dragon, passing through the flames that erupted from its mouth, and tackled the creature. With only one good leg to stand on, the dragon went down. Bella had the dragon pinned beneath her. A crooked smile of satisfaction spread across her lips. It cried and screamed, but she put all of her pressure on its neck, keeping it pinned. Eventually, the dragon stopped moving, other than a tick at the tip of its tail. Slowly, Bella let up on the pressure. It still remained still. Bella stood up, looking down at the defeated beast. It only slowly turned its head, to gaze at her.

"[I will not hurt you more," Bella said in choppy draconic. Bella walked over to her bag and picked it up, rummaging through it. She took out some ripped pieces of cloth she had prepared as bandages. Slowly, she walked over to the dragon, kneeling down by its leg. "[No more hurting. I help you." She wrapped up the cut tightly, and then patted its haunches gently. "[Good bye."

Bella encountered several more dragons, of various degrees of size and power. There were some she was forced to kill, because their hostility would not subside until they drew their last breath. However, she did her best to avoid conflict, or to merely subdue them so that she could continue on her search. Eventually, Bella found a large opening of a cave that appeared conspicuous. Perhaps it was the bones scattered about that got her attention. Perhaps it was the vibrations she felt resonating from it. No matter the reason, she ventured inside. Although she'd encountered many different dragons, she was unprepared for what she found within. Rising out from the rocky ground was an eerie miasma. In the middle of it a large silhouette appeared. Suddenly, the large head of a grotesque dragon lurched through the mist. Various old scars and injuries marred its hide, and some weapons still stuck out of it. All around it were dragon skeletons. With an angry, ethereal roar, it attacked.

Bella leapt back, summoning up her concentration in spite of its frightening presence. Bella kept her distance, throwing various spells at the dragon. However, it seemed to have no effect. It just kept advancing in a slow, yet calculating, manner. Before Bella even considered running, she felt the rocky wall against her back. _Damn, I'm cornered! _The tainted rocks and dirt that moved at its will, and that rolling, coiling fog looked dangerous. Bella wanted to avoid going near it at all costs. However, it seemed she'd have to if she wanted to escape with her life. Rounding up her courage, she tensed all of her muscles, ready to leap into action. If she could get a good foothold on a nearby rock, and then onto its massive head, perhaps she could make it to the other side, and get out of the cave.

As Bella launched into action, scrambling up on a boulder, and then leaping onto the monster's snout, she was aware of a sudden streak of light. The Dragon gargled in pain and threw back its head, sending her flying. Bella landed amidst old, brittle bones. There were a few silhouettes outlining the entrance to the cave. _Who else would be crazy enough to come here_? _If they are dragon slayers, I swear I'll…_

"What is that thing?" she heard someone exclaim. Bella slowly picked herself up, her shoulder aching. Gritting her teeth, she tried to get a better look at the party whom just arrived. She growled. She didn't care if they were hunting dragons, this thing was an abomination.

"Who cares what it is? Slay it and put it to rest!" Bella yelled. They hesitated. If not for the contrast of light, perhaps she could see them more clearly. However, it didn't matter. Survival was all that was on Bella's mind. If they died distracting the beast while she made a run for it, then it wasn't a concern of hers. Bella clutched her injured shoulder, slowly moving along the wall of the cave. "What are you waiting for? Kill or be killed!"

Chaos resulted. Many running feet were heard, and figures in the dark rushed to battle the gigantic, undead dragon. Another channeled streak of light shot up, illuminating the source for a moment. She saw a female figure, with long, unbound hair. Perhaps it was the lighting, but it looked very blue. Whatever this weapon or technique she wielded, it seemed effective. The others went close to the monster, and paid for it. Wretched rocks and poisonous sludge showered upon they who got too close. Still, they battled on. Bella could hardly help but watch their team efforts to bring it down. Injured or not, she knew she was no use sitting and staring. If they were brave enough to get close, so could she. Rushing at the large head, she vaulted onto its head, straddling its snout. With ferocity, she continued to scratch and tear at its face and eyes. Whether she was of any help or not, it did not matter. Eventually the creature disintegrated into a pile of ash - causing her to fall through it. Sitting up, she realized that the cave seemed to light up. No, it, itself, was not becoming bright, but it was almost as if the light were breathing a sigh of relief once the evil had passed.

"Are you alright?" asked a fairly young man, as he held out his hand to her. She stared into his green eyes, hesitating to accept his help.

"I'm fine," Bella responded, getting to her feet on her own. The boy drew back his hand, and stepped back. Behind him were an assortment of people, but one in particular caught her eye. It would seem that she had caught his, and their eyes met.

"You," they both said at the same time. The rest of the party stepped aside, turning to look quizzically at Albel, who kept a lofty distance from the rest. There was an awkward silence that followed. Finally, one of them broke it.

"So, it'd be safe to assume you two know each other, eh?" spoke a larger man with a muscular build. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, and slowly worked his way to the back of his neck, that he rubbed. Bella's gaze snapped to him.

"He kicked me in the head," Bella said quickly. It wasn't that she held a grudge about it, but she was tired and aching, and her mind wasn't quite as clear or as guarded as usual. It was the first thought, and leapt from her lips before she had a moment to consider.

"Kicked you… in the head?" the blue haired boy who had earlier offered to help her up repeated. The large blonde continued to rub the back of his neck, turning to regard Albel, whom had remained still and wore a neutral expression.

"Kicking a woman while she's down seems kinda low, even for a creep like him," he remarked. The only movement from Albel, was his eyes sliding to glare at the burly man. The other lad put a hand on his waist, also turning to Albel.

"Yeah, especially since trouncing weaklings isn't his style," he added. Albel shook his head in mild exasperation, wearing an expression that was direly unimpressed by the ignorant taunting. Bella took a moment to realize she had just been called a weakling, and almost jumped to protest. However, she had remembered herself, and bit her tongue. _All they saw was a woman who needed to be saved from a monster. Of course they'd perceive me as weak._

"Fools, you speak before you know the whole story," he said quietly, but in a severe tone. This was a man with such a loud presence that he didn't need to raise his voice to be heard.

"Well, why don't you enlighten us?" came a third voice. This was a woman. It wasn't the woman who had commanded those rays of light. It was a woman Bella had not noticed right away. To her surprise, she saw before her a runologist. What was Albel doing in her presence?

"We don't have time for that. Let's just get to the Urssa Lava caves," Albel reproached, turning away to head out of the cave. Bella perked.

"The lava caves?" she repeated. "That's where I am headed!"

"What? Why would you be going there by yourself?" asked the man with blue hair.

"I could ask the same about you. Hmph, I'm coming with you," Bella said. Her tone was final, and she would not tolerate anyone preventing her from coming.

"What?"

"Looks like she's made up her mind… I don't think she'll take no for an answer," the blonde remarked, slightly shaking his head.

"That's right." Bella said, folding her arms. She winced a little as pain reminded her of the injury to her arm.

"It's dangerous there, and you're injured. You'd slow us down," spoke the other woman, whose blue hair hung past her shoulders. Bella curled back her lips, growling. Normally she'd abstain from trivial actions such as expressing offense, but her luck was finally spiraling down again, and it weakened her will power.

"If I fall behind, then it'd be no sweat off of your backs. If I lag, lame and injured, don't bother pretending to fret about discarding me. It's the way of humans," Bella said in a voice that rivaled a beast's warning growl. There was another awkward silence, as each individual thought carefully on how to respond. Before any of them could come up with a reply, a loud, hollow roar was heard.

"What was that?"

"It sounds like an air dragon!" Three out of the five readied themselves to jump into battle should the need be. Albel, and the woman with bobbed, red hair, however, stood calmly.

Bella sighed, lowering her head. _They wouldn't know an air dragon's call from the growl of their stomachs. _

"Calm down," intoned the sleek runologist. The three alert members turned to look at her. She slowly walked over to the remains of a large dragon, kneeling down in front of it. Another roar reverberated throughout the hollow cave. "It's a dragon's windpipe."

This got Bella's attention, and soon she was kneeling down beside the woman, examining the remains. "Fascinating… it's in tact. I've always wanted a flute made from a dragon's windpipe."

The woman gave her a side-glance, as if a mixture of amazement and annoyance were rivaling within her mind. Bella looked at the woman a moment, then quickly extracted the windpipe. She held it in her hands, examining it. The whole time, the woman's green eyes were watching her. Bella stood and addressed the rest of the group. "I'll be taking this. Let's go."

The blonde gave a shrug and a sigh. "See, what did I tell ya? She isn't going to take no as an answer."

"But we can't get her involved in this! It's bad enough we've gotten this many people involved so far…" protested the lad with blue hair.

"What can you do? If you're going to get wet, might as well go swimming."

"Whatever your quest is, you have made it seem urgent. Stop bickering, and let's get going," Bella said sharply. If they were here to slay dragons, she definitely was going to put a stop to it. Even if she did something dishonorable, such as kill them in their sleep.

Defeated, the group turned to leave the cave. Albel had remained at the mouth of the cave, glaring impatiently at the group. Seeing them finally on the move, he turned and began to walk ahead of them.

Out in the light, Bella was able to get a much better look at the group. The two blue haired individuals, and the blonde, all wore strange garments. The runologist was, without a doubt, Aquarian. The four of them travelling with the pompous rat still struck her as odd. She had a feeling that there was something even more obscure going on with this particular group, but failed to define it.

"So, uh… guess we should introduce ourselves if we are going to be travelling together," said one of them while they were walking. "My name is Fayt Leingod."

"Bella Lecross," Bella responded shortly. The male with blue hair, whom introduced himself as Fayt, nodded his head. He glanced at the others to follow his example.

"I'm Cliff Fitter," said the burly blonde, thrusting a thumb to his chest.

"My name is Nel Zelpher," quietly revealed the stoic runologist.

"Maria Traydor," responded the blue haired woman, without even looking back at Bella.

"Fayt, Cliff, Nel, and Maria… and Albel," Bella said, her eyes going to the wicked one far in the lead. Bella wasn't sure if these people would benefit her, or lead her into disaster, but she was well aware of the adage of safety in numbers.

"So, um, what's with you and Mr. High-and-Mighty over there, anyway?" inquired Cliff. Fayt looked over with curiosity, as though the same question was on his mind. Bella gave him a side-glance.

"With… me and… Albel?" Bella clarified.

"Yeah," Cliff responded with a short nod. "Why did he kick you in the head? He seems the sort to use his sword before anything else."

"He didn't have a sword to use," Bella responded promptly.

"I can hardly imagine him without it," Cliff continued. Bella shook her head as they walked.

"Look, we were both stuck in the dungeon at the time. Neither of us had weapons… except his gauntlet," Bella said, rubbing her neck, remembering the clothesline of doom she'd received from him. She noticed Nel shooting her a wary glance. Cliff offered a low whistle.

"Airyglyph dungeons, eh? I don't miss that place," Cliff said. Bella tilted her head to the side.

"You've been a prisoner there?" Bella asked.

"Yup, me and Fayt both. Not the most hospitable people in Airyglyph. I'd have personally preferred a warm fireplace and a soft bed, maybe some beautiful women serving me fruit, but hey, what can you do?" Cliff said in a light-hearted tone, holding out his arms in a gesture to accentuate his sense of humour.

"So… you know my pain," Bella responded to Cliff, but her eyes remained on Nel.

"Tch, yeah," Fayt agreed, crossing his arms over his chest. After a moment of thought, he cocked his head to the side, peering at Bella. "So… how did you end up in there?"

"Ya kidding me? She's obviously an Aquarian. Probably a war prisoner that got released with the rest of them as part of the negotiation."

"She is not from Aquaria," Nel interceded. Fayt and Cliff looked over at her, startled at her sudden contribution to the conversation.

"Nel?"

"While I can't possibly know everyone from Aquios, Peterny, and Arias, she has some fairly advanced runes, and not many get to that level without my knowing of them." Nel shook her head. Fayt blinked at Nel, and then slowly looked to Bella for confirmation.

"What she says is true. I'm an independent runologist," Bella responded. Nel crossed her arms, dipping her head until her chin and mouth disappeared behind her scarf.

"Then… where are you from?" Fayt asked.

"…I grew up mostly in Kirlsa, but that was a long time ago," Bella responded reluctantly.

"Kirlsa? But that's Airyglyph territory," Fayt protested. Bella sighed.

"Does it matter?" Bella asked, her tone becoming severe.

"Brrr, cold," Cliff remarked. Fayt and Cliff got the hint to stop asking questions. Bella was more than happy to proceed travelling in silence. With silence, she knew where she stood. The suspicious glances she continued to receive from Nel caused her to be more guarded than usual. Bella was uncertain what was going through her mind, or if this Nel would become a threat. All Bella could do was stay alert, and take advantage of the unlikely group.


	8. Chapter 8: Campfire

**A/N**: There will be a drop in the regularity of updates on this story, as I will be out of town for a week. Say, does Bella have a personality? I mean, I know in my mind what it is, but I don't know how well I am portraying it. Otherwise, this chapter has more canon-character goodness.

Chapter 8

Orange highlights danced across the faces of those gathered around the campfire. Bella sat amidst the circle, finishing her supper with haste. With a larger group, there was more hostility from the dragons. Bella regretted that killing a fair amount of them could not be helped, although she often told the group to hold back and let her try to divert its attention. The success of this was not nearly as high as she had hoped. However, it wasn't a complete failure each time, and she proved some usefulness to the party. Except to those who believed she was wasting time.

Other than the encounters, the most noteworthy event was finding a workshop and making the windpipe into a fine flute. As Bella rose to distance herself from the rest, she took the flute out and examined it. She ran her hand along it, content with the results. She wouldn't have imagined finding a workshop in the middle of these mountains, but fortune had led them to the facilities of a melancholy alchemist. If not for the people she traveled with expressing urgency in their mission, Bella would have loved to speak with the alchemist. Bella was fond of alchemy, and had studied it abroad. She enjoyed taking something plain and flawed, and producing a magnificent material. She just wished there were some sort of alchemy she could perform on herself.

While Bella stood away from the group, and the source of light, she had let her reflection of the day swept her away. It wasn't until the sound of careful footsteps was right behind her that she became alert. Before she could turn to the source, something sharp prodded her back. She froze.

"Those fools may accept your vague explanations, but I don't trust you. You'd better sleep with one eye open, maggot," came that menacing voice. Bella squared her shoulders, lifting her chin, refusing to cower.

"Oh? Is that so? Are you going to kill me in my sleep?" Bella asked, her voice dribbling acid out of the tones.

"Normally I wouldn't bother with an easy kill, but I don't have time to play around with you," Albel responded in almost a whisper.

"You have me now, why not just take that sword and stab me in the back?" Bella prompted calmly.

"Don't tempt me, worm," Albel said. The pressure of his blade was relieved from his back. Following, she heard the metallic slither of a sword being sheathed. Bella slowly turned around, staring at his form, silhouetted against the fire beyond him. "Those fools would intervene. I don't have time to hear their preaching or protests."

"Speaking of those fools, why are you cooperating with them? I could not help but notice at least that one of them is a talented Aquarian Runologist. You gave me the impression that you wouldn't deign to stay in the company of one, without it resulting in their death," Bella inquired. He turned slightly, his hand still placed on the hilt of his sword. Bella saw his sleek profile against the fire, and couldn't help but think how fitting it was.

"The situation is beyond the understanding of a maggot like you. But if you want to know anyway, ask one of those worms. They know more than I," Albel said, fully turning his back to her, and walking off to his bedroll. Bella perched her hands on her hips, watching him go. Her gaze shifted to the group who were still huddled around the fire. Quietly, she approached them.

"…be trusted? There is definitely something off about her," intoned a subdued, slightly low yet feminine voice. Bella paused, crouching behind a nearby boulder. She was quite certain she knew who was being discussed.

"Yeah, but does it really matter at this point?" asked Cliff as he poked at the fire.

"Her agenda is the least of our present concerns. We need to tame this Marquis, and fast, if we are going to have any chance against the Vendeeni," reminded Maria. _Tame the Marquis? Surely Crossel was not their objective…_

"Yes, but we still don't know what her intentions are. She could get in our way," Nel said lowly.

"Get in our way? There's five of us and one of her. Besides, I doubt she's out to cause us trouble," Cliff responded, dismissing Nel's concerns. Nel sighed, dipping her head, saying nothing more. "Besides, right now isn't the time to talk about it. She's currently crouched behind that boulder."

Bella froze. _How long did he know I was here? _She peered over the boulder, seeing all four of them staring at the boulder she was hiding behind. Bella sighed and slowly rose, stepping out from behind it.

"Still want to trust her?" Nel asked dryly. Then she looked sternly at Bella. "Explain yourself."

"You were talking about me. I merely wanted to know what is said about me when my presence is believed to be elsewhere," Bella said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest. She let her eyes fix a stern glare at each of the four, one at a time.

"Who doesn't?" Cliff added.

"You don't need to sneak around us, Bella," Fayt said softly, trying to diffuse the tension. "If you have a question, just ask."

"Just ask? Alright, tell me why you are looking for Crossel?" Bella asked bluntly. They all exchanged glances, as if imploring someone to begin to answer, with the exception of Cliff, who seemed a little confused.

"Crossel?" he asked.

"Uh, you know, the Marquis?" Fayt responded sarcastically. Cliff let out a sheepish chuckle.

"Oh… yeah…"

"Well?" Bella prompted. They all looked at her, and then finally Fayt nodded, and began to speak.

"We need to find the Marquis to as for his help to fight a new, powerful foe that has appeared. He's the only air dragon large enough to carry the only runological weapon that would have a chance against this enemy," Fayt explained. Bella stared at him dryly.

"You would deign to use the Marquis as a source of transport… for a manmade weapon?" Bella asked. They all glanced among themselves in silence.

"It's our only chance, even if it is a long shot," Maria spoke up. Bella rubbed the bridge of her nose, letting out a sigh.

"It is a long shot. I don't imagine a dragon as mighty as he would consent to such a menial task," Bella responded.

"He'll have to! If he doesn't help us, this world will be destroyed," Fayt insisted. Bella rolled back her head, staring up into the sky.

"Destroyed? The world? I think you exaggerate the power of this enemy," Bella responded. She arched and eyebrow, and lowered her head again, staring at Fayt. "Humankind always claim to save the world to justify their actions. Tell me one I have not heard…"

"Aren't… you human?" asked Fayt. The rest of the group seemed a little taken aback by her comments. Bella sighed, nodding her head.

"Unfortunately, yes. That is how I understand how inferior they are," Bella responded. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"You may think that about humans… but the world really is in danger. If we don't get his help, everything as you and I know it will be destroyed. I can't bear to see anymore death…" Fayt said, his tone becoming somber. Bella slowly sat down amidst their circle, putting her hands out in front of the fire.

"You really believe the world is threatened…" She glanced off into the darkness. "Did you get Albel to believe that? I can't think of any other reason he'd bother with you…"

There was silence as everyone followed Bella's stare into the bleak darkness, almost expecting to see him standing there. There was only rocky relief against the starry sky. They turned back to Bella. "Actually… the King sent him as a representative of Airyglyph. He is supposedly our guide."

"The King? Right… someone called him Lord Albel shortly before he knocked me out," Bella said, bringing a thoughtful hand to her chin. _More and more puzzles_.

"You mean… you grew up in Kirlsa and don't know who he is?" someone asked.

"That was years ago. He wasn't exactly talkative in his cell," Bella said, slightly irritated. Again, she should know this Albel. The fact that she didn't came as a surprise to yet another.

"Hard to believe he wasn't trumpeting about how great and important he is," Cliff remarked. Bella lifted her eyes to stare at him.

"Well… is anyone going to enlighten me? I'm missing something here. He was a prisoner at the same time as me. If he is someone important, then why was he locked up? Why is he entitled to being called Lord?" Bella asked. Nel shook her head, this time volunteering the information.

"He was charged with treason by Duke Vox. The new enemy killed Vox, and so Albel was sent with us both to redeem himself, and to keep an eye on us. Airyglyph is still wary of us. The King met us with the same skepticism as you," she explained as briefly as possible. Bella shifted her position a little.

"But… aren't Aquaria and Airyglyph at war?" Bella asked.

"Because of the new enemy, we've put our conflict aside to work together, and save both of our Kingdoms," Nel responded. Bella nodded her head.

"Impressive," Bella responded. "Perhaps foolish humankind is learning after all."

"Perhaps you were in that cell with Albel too long… you're starting to sound like him," Cliff muttered. Bella tilted her head, staring at him. She decided to ignore the remark. After a moment, she found neither offense nor flattery in the comparison.

"Anyway… while he is definitely arrogant, he doesn't strike me as nobility. So why is he important?" Bella reiterated her question.

"He was the general of the Black Brigade," said Nel. Bella glanced into the vague direction of wherever Albel as slunk off to.

"He doesn't seem like a leader of men," Bella observed. Cliff just offered a shrug, as if saying 'beats me why he's a general', while the others simply agreed. After a moment of silence, Fayt glanced up, deciding to try his luck at asking questions again.

"Well, we've answered your questions, so perhaps you can tell us what you are looking for?" Fayt asked. Bella stared at him for a moment in silence. Then she slowly consented to answering.

"I am also searching for Crossel," Bella responded. They all glanced at each other.

"Why?"

"He's the oldest dragon to date that anyone knows of. I imagine he'd be a source of knowledge and wisdom. I can't guarantee he'd lower himself to speak with me, but I am making the journey nonetheless," Bella explained.

"…What knowledge, exactly, would you seek from a dragon?"

"An unbiased account of events… that is assuming he hasn't spent the better part of his life as a hermit, ignoring the world. I wouldn't blame him if he did. Still, just being in his presence would be worth the perils of my trip," Bella said, her face becoming less severe, and a smile gently sprawled out across her lips.

"Oka-ay…" Cliff said slowly, scratching the side of his head. He leaned over to Fayt, saying something quietly into his ear. "Hey… does she seem a bit… you know… fanatical about dragons to you? I mean, the dragon brigade is obsessed enough as it is… but she's, you know…kinda weird."

Bella watched him, and proceeded to watch Fayt as he pulled back, speaking out of one side of his mouth in hushed tones. "I think she can hear you." Bella covered her face with her hand in exasperation.

Bella rose to her feet suddenly. "I'm going to sleep. If your mission is as monumental as you say, then you should as well, so we can rise early, and finish the task at hand sooner." Stiffly, she turned away from the strange group, and wandered off to a rocky corner. So, these people are out to save the world? Bella still found it a suspicious and pretentious claim on their part, but for all she knew, their world could be facing destruction. Whether this was an exaggeration or not remained to be seen. Until then, they would be useful for her own purposes.


	9. Chapter 9: Ruin

**A/N: **I lied. One more chapter before I head out for a week. I still had a lot of inspiration to type out in a flurry of phalangeal fury! Woot alliteration! In this chapter we get to see Bella open up to Fayt a little, and some direct (or as close as I could get them) quotes from the game. Not a lot of action here, mainly speculation and conversation. I tried to put a little more humour, as thus far, this fic has been a bit too dry.

Chapter 9

"Think it's a clue?"

"Probably."

"It's a little eerie, isn't it? Kind of ugly if you ask me."

"Well, if it is a door, I can't find a handle."

"Still, it sure stands out."

"Should we check it out a little more?"

"Yeah."

This was a short conversation that occurred as the self-proclaimed saviors to be stood in front of a large relief painting of a dragon, expressing an emotion. The cluster, with the exception of Albel standing far behind them with his arms crossed, began to check for any secret levers or other such mechanisms.

"You won't find anything," Bella said. Fayt turned to look at her.

"Well, do you have a better suggestion?" he asked. Bella nodded, slipping out the flute. Someone hadn't done their research. The way Albel stood back, shaking his head, she had a feeling he also knew no mere mechanism was in place, but merely was enjoying watching them all make a fool of themselves. Bella took off her gauntlets, then walked up to the large relief image. She placed the flute below her lips. She'd learned their language, not just written or spoken, but also in the musical expression of basic emotions. Her fingers hovered over the various holes in anticipation. After a few experimental notes, she began to play. A short, but expressive tune followed, that seemed to radiate happiness. She pulled the flute away from her lips, watching the relief painting. With smug satisfaction, she watched the obstacle fade away, revealing a passageway.

"Where'd you learn that?" Fayt asked.

"I did research and some training before coming here," Bella said, picking up her gauntlets, and placing them back onto her hands. "I'm not so useless after all."

Maria's lips became a thin line, and a look of irritation came over her. She walked past Bella coldly. "Let's go," she ordered, in an authoritative tone. Bella stood aside, as one by one, the party members walked through. Last was Albel, who silently fixed her with a glare as he passed. Bella took the rear this time.

Stepping inside, Bella was surprised with the ruins. She'd imagined something faded, old, and crumbling. How could this sterile place of straight walls and cool hues be ancient ruins? She shivered slightly, feeling somehow betrayed. By what, or whom, or why, she did not know. Perhaps she let her thoughts fight their way to her face, or body language, because soon she realized that Fayt had slowed down in order to stand beside her.

"Hey… are you alright?" he asked softly. Bella glanced over at him. Quickly, she forced herself to resume her neutral demeanor.

"I was just a little surprised. I have a different image in my mind of what the Ruins of Barr would look like," she responded truthfully. She took in a deep breath as they walked on. Fayt just slowly nodded his head.

"Alright… if that's all…" he muttered. "I know we've been less than friendly, but you have to understand we're in a complicated situation."

"It matters not," Bella said, straightening her posture and lifting her chin. "I'm not here looking for friends. I merely understand that there is safety in numbers, and more hands makes less work… or some of those sentimental adages people pass among themselves to appear wise, only to ignore them when they cease to be convenient."

"You really do have a poor opinion of people," Fayt remarked. Bella nodded her head.

"Only because they give me reason to," Bella responded shortly.

"I'm sorry you've been exposed to people that would make you feel that way." Fayt shook his head, letting out a long sigh. "It's not easy having faith in people, when you see the ugliness they are capable of. However, people aren't all bad."

"I know they aren't all bad, but they are all inferior," Bella trumped.

"How do you figure?"

"It's too easy for humans to be cruel, petty, foolish, and weak. They are weak in mind and body… however, I do not hate humankind, I just know that there are sentient beings far superior. I merely wish to reach for that level of ascension… even if I don't make it, if I reach that far, the progress should, at least, be satisfactory. When I was younger, someone once asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. They had expected a response like a good wife, or a baker, or a nurse. However, I proudly proclaimed that I wanted to be a dragon when I grew up. My mother, of course, was embarrassed, and the inquirer chuckled nervously. However, they couldn't get me to change my answer to any of their conventional suggestions." Bella paused. She had just dispensed more personal information than she would have liked. She decided at that moment that she resented Fayt.

"But, it's not like you can just grow wings and start breathing fire… you have to set a more realistic goal," Fayt pointed out.

"Not if I can help it," Bella responded, half a smile crawling up her cheek. Fayt's eyebrows knitted together, with a look of confusion, followed by surprise, and finally settling on slightly disturbed.

"H-how?"

"I'll find a way, or die trying," Bella said confidently. She knew she could never actually become a dragon… but she didn't mind toying with the boy's head.

"Don't you think you're being a bit unrealistic?" he asked cautiously.

"Not at all," came her whimsical response. Finally, something to lighten her mood. Perhaps, being around people wasn't such a bad thing. In the right state of mind, people could be quite amusing. Fayt gave up then and there with an exasperated sigh, acknowledging that perhaps this woman was a little crazy, and it may be best not to try and convince her otherwise.

Fayt sped up his walking to rejoin Cliff and Maria who took the lead. For a guide, Albel was seldom in the lead, but he didn't need to be. Anytime the group was about to take a wrong turn, he'd correct them, and as usual, call them fools. Bella couldn't help but wonder if the man had a creative bone in his body, for the lack of finding new and interesting insults. Bella, however, knew what he lacked in creativity, he made up for in strength and skill. She wouldn't have thought it looking at his build, but she did not argue that he had earned his right to his arrogance. Cliff was also amazingly strong, but that came as no surprise to her. As for the rest of the party, they were effective, but none of them amounted to Cliff or Albel's strength. What Nel lacked in strength, she made up with resourcefulness, skill, and speed. What Maria lacked in everything she made up with a keen eye and accuracy with that strange weapon of hers. Fayt… she felt was mediocre, but at least he was well rounded, and competent. However, sometimes she felt that he was holding back. Bella sighed. As for where she fell, she couldn't help but feel inadequate compared to them. She's spent years training hard and building up strength as well as knowledge, but it would seem she hadn't trained hard enough. If anyone could save the world, it would be them.

"Man, why do all relief paintings have to look like this?" Cliff said in a plaintive tone. Her was referring to yet another relief painting, much like the entrance to the ruins. However, this one had burning red eyes of anger. Maria put a hand on her hip.

"Yeah…" she agreed, staring at the relief painting.

"There's something written here. It looks like Dragon Runes," Nel informed. Bella curiously walked up beside Nel, looking at the inscription below the relief painting. Bella recognized the Dragon Runes right away, and read them quietly in her head, while Nel read them out loud to the rest. "'Offer the dragon's cranium while within the cross. The dragon reliefs seek nothing but their favorite sound.' What could that mean?"

"It means more fluting," Bella responded. The group looked at her blankly. Bella stared at them for a long awkward moment. It dawned on her that perhaps she said something wrong. "I said fluting! As in playing the flute!"

"Uh-huh, not what I heard," Cliff responded with a subtle smirk. Well, that is to say subtle with a capital B. Bella fixed him with a cold glare.

"Anyway, if this isn't a metaphor, we need to find a dragon's skull before we can go any further," Bella reasoned, her icy eyes still fixed meaningfully on Cliff.

"Enough fooling around. Let's get going," Maria chided. Immediately, the group became animated, as they headed off in search of components for this riddle.

Stabbing pangs of nausea caused Bella to writhe. Red. Her eyes drew to the sight of bloodstains on an old slab. Eyes stared at her. Dead eyes, floating in green liquid. Shelves and shelves of jars, imprisoning disassembled and defiled dragons. Her face burned, her hands went cold. Bella could not help but stagger, staring at the grotesque display of various experiments. Although the others weren't as severely affected as Bella, she could sense their disgust.

"Live with dragons? Is this what that means?" asked Cliff, standing in front of a shelf of preserved dragon parts. He shook his head.

"They entered the dragon's lair, hunted them down, and then performed all kinds of experiments on them," Fayt observed critically. Bella took in a deep breath to steady herself. It was sickening… but… what was learned through these unwilling sacrifices?

"Seems so. If they were living together, they wouldn't mercilessly slaughter them like this." Cliff continued, his tone serious for the first time since Bella had met him. She glanced down.

"How terrible," Nel agreed, shaking her head in shame of experiencing such a macabre display. Albel watched and listened from the doorway, not sharing in their horror.

"Hmph."

"Something wrong?" asked Nel, turning to the wicked one. Bella also turned to him, her face grave.

"Do you realize how many dragons we've killed so far?" he asked mockingly.

"But we-" Nel began to protest. However, Albel cut her off.

"'We had no choice' is what you were going to say, right? Either way you look at it, there's really not much of a difference," Albel said coolly. The rest of the group stood in awkward silence, as the truth hit them hard under Albel's words. Bella bit her lip, glaring at Albel.

"And what of attempts to spare the dragons?" Bella asked. "I did my best!"

"It was a waste of time. The few we spared don't justify the amount we killed. We are intruders here, slaughtering dragons as we come across them. How are we any different from them?" Albel asked, a slight smirk forming on his face.

"We didn't put them in jars… no… don't say anything Albel. I can guess what you are thinking. At least these people found uses for the dragons they killed, whereas we just left the corpses to waste…" Bella lowered her head, continuing to glare. "We're worse than them"

"Bella…" Fayt began to say, concern and compassion in his voice.

"No, it's alright. I am… human… after all. I make mistakes… but I won't succumb to the failing of humans to try and justify what I did wrong." Bella drew in a deep breath. She was a murderer. That was a fact.

"Hmph…" Albel said coldly as he turned away. Fayt reluctantly walked over beside Cliff, who was examining the various jars and specimen.

"A dragon's skull… I wonder…" he began to say and then took it. "Alright, let's see if we can solve that riddle now."

"Alright…"

The six of them stood in the room with the angry relief painting again. There were some large ornate tiles that formed a cross on the floor. Fayt stood in the center, holding up the dragon's cranium. Bella stood beside him, playing a few dragon tunes on her flute. Nothing happened. Fayt and Bella glanced at each other. They waited. Still nothing. Bella looked back at the angry face. _I'd be angry, too, my friend. You have been greatly wronged…_

"Well… it was worth a shot…" Fayt sighed. He put the cranium away. Nel looked critically at the ground. Where they had stepped, the tiles lit up. Slowly, she walked over each tile. Only some of them were lighting, no matter how many times she stepped on it.

"I think, perhaps, we need to make the cross light up," Nel said after a moment of contemplation. Cliff held out his arms.

"Yeah, but how're we gonna do that?" he asked. Bella glanced around, staring at two other relief paintings they had not examined fully yet. She pointed them out.

"Perhaps, those are passages as well… we may find more clues if we try them…" Bella said. Maria crossed her arms, holding a hand up to her chin in thought.

"I had thought the riddle applied to all of the relief paintings…" Maria said. Bella calmly walked over to a relief painting, which looked particularly playful. She wasn't going to sit and argue. Instead, she whipped out the flute again, and played a playful little tune. Immediately, the painting faded, revealing yet another passage.

"Well, that solves that," Fayt concluded. The rest of them followed Bella through the passageway. Bella sighed. She wondered why they had to analyze everything to pieces rather than just take action and try it? Things went faster that way.

Winding corridors filled with monsters confronted them. Although some were a challenge, there was little to no injury when everyone worked together. There were times they lost sight of Albel, and then found him wiping blood off of his sword. Finally the group had discovered a large tile almost identical to the ones that formed the cross, thanks to Nel's keen eyes. Nel kneeled down in front of it. It lit up at her cautious touch. She stood up and looked at the rest of the party.

"I imagine there is one for every tile that wouldn't light in the cross. Let's get moving, and find them all," she suggested. With no arguments, Bella and the others began searching, until they found and lit every last one. Finally, they returned to the room with the Angry relief and the cross.

Fayt stood in the middle once again. Bella stood right in front of the relief, holding out the flute. She began to blow, and nimbly tumbled her fingers over the holes, producing a fast pace and complicated tune. Whether or not it sounded angry was up to interpretation, but it definitely was full of vigor. Fayt held up the cranium in the center of the lit cross. The distinct sound of something heavy moving was heard beyond the passageway that the angry dragon relief guarded.

"I think it worked," Fayt said enthusiastically.

"Well, then, let's go," Maria urged. A consensus of nods resulted, and the group walked onward. Albel hung back, and Bella could notice him becoming morbidly grim, even for him. His manner and expression deepened, as he seemed to retreat into somewhere dark in his mind… at least from Bella's interpretation. For all she knew, he had indigestion.


	10. Chapter 10: Obstacle

**A/N: **Okay, so once again, direct quotes from the script are in here, so not all content is original. Keep that in mind. Of course, still, there are certain liberties taken.

**Attention**: As this is the tenth chapter, I would really appreciate some feedback. What do you like? What do you not like? What direction do you see it going? Where do you hope it won't go? Would you recommend this fan fiction to anyone? All I ask is for you to take a moment to answer one or more of the questions above, if it isn't too much trouble.

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Chapter 10

"Sure is hot in here," Cliff remarked, fanning himself with his hand. Bella shook her head, refraining from making comments about tight, black leather in a volcano being an impractical decision, but she was not one to talk, also sweating beneath hard leather. Her torso was slimy from being unable to breathe. At least her legs were exposed to the open air, with only loosely draped cloth hanging down from her hips.

"Well, where exactly is this Marquis?" Fayt asked, turning to Albel. The rest of the group turned to stare at him expectantly. Albel gave them all a dry stare, keeping his distance. He offered a nonchalant shrug, but said nothing more.

"Hmph, some guide," Cliff murmured. Nel crossed her arms, a look of consideration on her face.

"A dragon, as large as he is rumoured to be, shouldn't be hard to find now that we are here. It shouldn't take us much longer to find him," Nel observed. Fayt nodded his head.

"Yeah, we're almost there. Then we can finally finish this!" Fayt said optimistically.

"Remember, this is just a long shot," Cliff cautioned.

"Fool, not only that, but you have to get that beast to agree first," Albel added.

"He's not just a beast, he's a magnificent being greater than you could ever become," Bella reproached defensively.

"Uh-oh…" Cliff said quietly to the rest of the group as Albel and Bella glared at each other, their muscles tightening, ready to pounce. There was a tense moment of silence, and Albel finally shook his head, striding past the stunned party, into the depths.

"I don't have time to crush a maggot like you…" he intoned. Bella sighed out, relaxing. She had no desire to fight the man over something petty like his pride. However, a fight merely as an equal opportunity to prove one's own strength or skill was appealing, just not practical in the current situation.

Quietly, and relieved that a fight hadn't slowed their progress, the party caught up with Albel. Although many could make unsavoury comments towards his choice in attire, he was the best dressed for the current conditions. Bella almost considered removing her armour for some relief. However, with monsters abounding within, she sacrificed comfort for protection.

While they were walking, Nel finally decided speak with Bella directly. She forfeited her position near the front with Fayt to drop behind to where Bella was. "If you are from Kirlsa, just where did you learn to use runology like that?"

"Hm?" Bella turned to look at the Aquarian in the racy outfit. She, too, seemed to have appropriate wear for the heat, but not necessarily appropriate wear for most other occasions. "Where did I learn? I travelled abroad, and met a runologist. I received informal training from him."

"Does this runologist have a name?" Nel asked, her eyelids drooping, giving an expression of bored scepticism.

"Edric, if my memory serves me correctly," Bella responded immediately. Nel sighed, retreating to the archives of her memory.

"Edric… Edric Welmeth," Nel said confidently.

"Do you know him?" Bella asked. Nel shook her head.

"Not personally, no," Nel responded. "He's the uncle of one of my subordinates."

"Subordinates? I suppose someone of your skill has some rank…" Bella responded. Nel crossed her arms over her chest and gave a slight tilt of her head.

"Where have you been that you don't know any current information of either countries?" Nel asked.

"Training alone, in the wilderness," Bella responded. "I tired of the company of humans, and there was little more I wished to learn from them."

"You're lucky to be alive," Nel cautioned, and then promptly sped up to rejoin Fayt and Maria, who were currently in front. Bella sighed, and smiled a little. She was somewhat relieved that most of these heroes were not trying to warm to her. She knew she was not beyond human yet, and therefore, was victim to forming attachments that could later be counterproductive. While Bella was slipped into her own thoughts, they arrived at a dead end. In the dead end, there was a statue of a anthropomorphic bunny.  
"Strange thing to find in a place like this, isn't it?" Fayt remarked. The rest of the group formed a half circle around it, minus Albel, and stared at it. Maria tilted her head to the side, seeming to scrutinize it. Cliff walked over and knocked on it.

"Solid," he remarked.

"What did you expect?" Fayt asked.

"Maybe there could have been something hidden inside?" Cliff shrugged his shoulders.

"I may not know a lot about this planet, but I get the feeling that this is definitely misplaced," Maria remarked. Fayt rubbed the back of his head.

"Yeah… something about the ears bother me…" he said. Cliff stretched, and leaned against it.

"Well, it's a dead end, isn't it? Shouldn't we just turn around now and head off?" Cliff asked.

"What's that?" asked Fayt. Everyone looked around to find the subject of his inquiry. The glint of something metal caught Bella's eyes. Her and Fayt walked to the posterolateral side of the statue. Fayt kneeled down, picking up the item. He held it up. Bella observed a key with rabbit ears on it.

"I wonder what this unlocks?" he wondered out loud. Cliff started looking around the statue, pushing it in several parts.

"Not anything in this hunk o' rock, obviously," Cliff responded.

"Let's just hold on to it, and keep going," Maria suggested, although her tone denoted more of an order. The others nodded, and they turned and walked away from the statue. Bella shook her head. _Who would build a statue of a bunny here? _It bothered Bella.

The presence of the bunny statue, and likewise, the rabbit key, soon became apparent. After more exploration, and a few tiresome battles, they all came to a door. Upon the door, there was a note. Nel, who had since taken the lead to warn the followers of danger, read it.

"What does it say?" inquired Fayt.

"Something about NOT looking for the spare key by the rabbit statue," Nel responded dryly.

"A bit obvious, isn't it?" remarked Cliff. Nel nodded in agreement. She turned to Fayt, holding out her hand in silent communication. Fayt plunged his hand into his pocket, and brought out the rabbit key. Nel took it, and tried it in the lock. CLICK. Noisily, the door swung open.

"Awe, come on, this is just too easy," Cliff complained.

"Well, if it's a trap, I am certain we can get through unscathed," Bella said. They all glanced at her. "…with our combined efforts, I do not imagine there is much that can get in our way," Bella continued.

"Since when was a band of humans so competent?" asked Nel, a slight mocking tone in her voice.

"Since I have had the pleasure of witnessing your cumulative potency," Bella responded, furrowing her eyebrows. "There are always exceptions. Let's go."

"Right." Fayt nodded. One by one, they went through the door, and into a blanket of smog. Maria coughed, and Nel pulled her scarf up over her nose.

"This is no good, I can barely see my own hand in this!" Fayt exclaimed. Bella wiped her watering eyes on her shoulder, as her gauntlets got in the way of using her hands. Cliff was breathing into his arm, and Albel… seemed not as bothered, or determined to appear unbothered.

"Look, in smog this thick, we cannot afford to get separated," Maria said once she had finished coughing. "We'll need to hold on to each other."

"Hold on to each other? Like hold hands?" asked Cliff.

"We're all mature adults here last time I checked. Hands, clothes, gear, whatever works," Maria responded. Everyone sighed. Nel, in the lead, had her scarf grabbed on to by Maria. Maria's shoulder was occupied by Cliff's hand. Fayt reluctantly took a hold of Cliff's arm. Bella stood back, staring at Albel, whom did not seem pleased with the aspect.

"I'll take the rear," Bella volunteered. A grumble came from Albel, but he finally put his gauntlet hand on Fayt's shoulder, keeping his other arm on the hilt of his sword. Bella, smiling impishly, took a hold of Albel's hair.

"Everyone got a hold of someone?" Maria asked. A chorus of affirmative responses followed, although some of them in grudging tones.

"Alright, let's get a move on," Nel said, as she began to walk. Slowly, the train of uncomfortable people began to move along the narrow, smoky path. They were forced to travel at half their normal walking speed, but they all managed to keep together, and avoid getting lost. Eventually, Nel announced that she had found a door. She opened it, and reported that the air inside was clear. There were several sighs of relief, as one by one they walked in, letting go of the person in front. Now all in, their eyes turned to a short individual, whom resembled the rabbit statue. He stared up at all of them with beady, black eyes.

"Who are you? Didn't you see the message NOT to search for the spare key?" he inquired warily. There was a moment of silence as each, in their own way, tried to sort out whether this creature were simple minded, or just attempting to be humorous.

"Spare key?" Fayt finally asked. There was a snort from someone behind him. Maria walked up beside Fayt.

"He probably means the Rabbit Ears Key," she suggested, in a somewhat patronizing tone. Fayt offered a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck in mild embarrassment.

"Oh yeah. That key," Fayt mumbled. Bella walked further into the room while this interaction took place. There was a lot of equipment around, including some decent technology, and appropriate facilities for a decent workshop. She wandered over to a chair at a table and sat down. Cliff had migrated over there, but was examining some of the primitive machines nearby. Nel retreated to a far corner of the room with the best vantage point, and Albel drifted to the table Bella sat on, idly placing his hand on the surface.

"Well, no matter. Besides, you don't seem to be monsters." The rabbit humanoid paused, staring warily at Bella's dragon horn circlet. He blinked, and then turned back to Fayt and Maria. "So, what do you want?"

"First, let's introduce ourselves," Fayt suggested. He placed a hand to his chest. "I'm Fayt," he offered. Then he gestured towards Maria with an airy sweep of his hand. "This is Maria."

"These guys," Maria jumped in to say, pointing at the rest, "are also with us."

"Hey!" Cliff protested, crossing his arms over his chest and turning away slowly. "I have a name too, you know…" he said indignantly.

"Apparently not worth mention…" Bella muttered under her breath. Cliff glanced at her silently for a moment, then shrugged, turning towards a wall to sulk.

"I'm Vanilla. Pleased to meet you," the anthropomorphic introduced. Fayt and Maria nodded politely to Vanilla. Vanilla looked up at them imploringly.

"We've come to speak with the Marquis, the dragon who lives somewhere in these caves," Fayt explained. Vanilla stared blankly at them, blinking a few times before responding.

"Speak with… him?" he asked uncertainly. "Hmm… The entrance to his lair is blocked by volcanic rock. You can't get in," he informed.

"Aren't you in charge of these caves?" Fayt asked, a little discouraged. Bella shook her head at him even THINKING such an idea.

"I have nothing to do with this place. I'm just an uninvited guest," Vanilla responded, cocking his head to the side.

"Bah! I told you this place was a waste of time! Fool!" Albel said, shaking his head reproachfully at Fayt and Maria. Nel, standing a ways behind him, crossed her arms, letting her eyes narrow.

"I don't remember you saying that," Nel spoke. Without turning around, Albel shrugged, and responded to her.

"Me neither."

"…" Nel shook her head, and rubbed the bridge of her nose in disbelief. Bella looked between the two, and then smiled. Was that an attempt at humour? Perhaps Albel was salvageable after all. Humour, though not her forte, was something in humans that she did appreciate. She glanced over at Maria, wondering if she would pleasantly surprise her as well. Somehow, though, Bella doubted it.

"Is there any way to remove the volcanic rock?" Fayt asked desperately.

"There's a way, but… I'll need a glowstone to make a Ring of Disintegration. You could use that to remove it," Vanilla suggested. However, the pauses in his voice told Bella that it was not precisely easy to make.

"A Ring of Disintegration?" Maria parroted.

"'Disintegration' refers to a specific runological force that makes objects disappear forever. A Ring of Disintegration is an item with just such a power. Anyone can use it," Vanilla explained, looking between Maria and Fayt. Bella leaned on the edge of her seat. Why should such a power be available to anyone? It worried her.

"And you can make one?" Bella blurted out. Vanilla looked at her, pausing silently for a moment, as he regarded her nervously.

"W-well, I am an inventor, appearances notwithstanding." Vanilla said as calmly as he could. His eyes shifted back to Fayt and Maria. "As for the glowstone… Do you know the Airyglyph Aqueducts? I believe there is one hidden in the ice-covered room there," he informed politely. He raised a furry white brow. "Do you really want a Ring of Disintegration that badly?"

"Yup. We have to speak with the Marquis," Fayt insisted.

"…" Vanilla silently thought for a moment, bringing a white, pawed hand to his chin. After a moment he peered back up at Fayt. "When do you need it by?"

"As soon as possible," Maria said.

"How much will you pay me to make it?" Vanilla asked. There was a moment of silence, as Fayt and Maria glanced at each other. After a while, Fayt nodded with a decision.

"We'll pay thirty thousand fol," he offered. Vanilla's face brightened, and what could be interpreatted as a grin, formed on his white face. Bella nearly choked on that number, causing her chair to tip. With the jerky movement of her reflexes, she countered the weight and avoided falling over, chair and all. Nel and Cliff both raised an eyebrow at her obvious surprise.

"Really? You'll pay that much? Yipee!" he cheered with glee. Fayt opened his mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, realizing his err.

"Oh, uh… hold on a sec!" Fayt tried to withdraw his offer.

"A man never goes back on his word! Isn't that right, young lady?" Vanilla quickly interrupted with a look of triumph on his face.

"…" Maria groaned inwardly, shooting Fayt a glance of annoyance and disbelief.

"All right then!" Vanilla said excitedly. He walked over to a chest and brought out a bag, walking back over to Fayt. "Here, take these disintegration bombs. They can break through the ice that blocks the way to the glowstone. I am only giving you ten, so don't go wasting them!" Vanilla explained, offering the package to Fayt. Fayt took them, glancing inside at these disintegration bombs. Then he closed it, and nodded to Vanilla, recovering from his embarrassment.

"Thanks," he said, although it wasn't with all of his heart.

"I'll be waiting right here!" Vanilla said, patting his chest. Without much of a word, the part formed a line at the doorway as Vanilla waved them goodbye.

As they stood once again in the thick smog, they were instructed to once again grab a hold of someone. Nel was in the lead again, but this time Fayt was directly behind her. He held onto her hand. Perched on his shoulder was Maria's hand. Once again, Cliff towered behind her, keeping a firm grip on her shoulder with his large hand. Bella slipped her hand into Cliff's free hand, and glanced behind her. Albel leered at her in the doorway of Vanilla's workshop. He shut it behind him, and walked over, gripping Bella's shoulder tightly. It was uncomfortably tight. It was also, obviously, intentionally uncomfortable. That discomfort, if prolonged, may turn to aching. She was not going to say anything about it; she did not want to seem petty or paranoid. Such traits were characteristic of the inferior, undesirable human race. She felt Cliff start to walk, and likewise began to move. Nel guided them back the way they came. All that lay before them, now, was to get out. Bella knew she was not in a rush, but she could not help but feel the urgency and disappointment towards the detour that inhabited the rest. Bella sighed. Was the world really going to end?


	11. Chapter 11 Cliffcicle

**A/N**: Okay, this chapter is approximately twice as long as the previous, so if you only have a few moments to read between tasks, I suggest you save it for another time. It isn't EXTREMELY long, just longer than most. Keep that in mind. Oh, and if you aren't used to smushing words together, Klausicle Klaus (or Klausian) + Icicle.

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**Chapter 11: _Klaus-icle_**

The amber glow of late afternoon gently, yet painfully, shone into the faces of many as they stepped out the Barr caves. Bella raised her hand to her brow, shading her eyes against the natural light they hadn't seen in some time. She slowly turned to the others as they stepped out of the cave, resting her hands on her hips.

"Well, until you get that Ring of Disintegration made, I can't accomplish my goal either. Travelling with you has brought it to my attention that I have yet a longer way to go before I am strong enough," Bella said, bowing to them. "Perhaps we will meet again, granted that the world doesn't end first."

"We won't let that happen," Fayt proclaimed. Cliff drove his fist into the palm of his other hand, nodding in agreement with Fayt.

"That's right!" he said, his face set with a look of determination.

"You really do fit the role of heroes," Bella said, half a smile creeping on her face. Like all other little girls, she was told stories of heroes that stood up against all odds with confidence. Now it seemed as though the characters were coming to life right before her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cliff asked. Bella just shrugged, maintaining her crooked smirk.

"Whatever you want it to mean. You had better get going, if the world's salvation is on your shoulders," Bella said in an airy tone. She felt a little nostalgic, thinking of her childhood when she travelled abroad with both of her parents.

"Bella…" Fayt said softly, as everyone else began to turn away. Bella looked at him, making a sound of acknowledgement. "Why don't you come with us?" he offered. The others paused, glancing at Fayt and Bella. Bella crossed her arms over her chest.

"To Airyglyph?" Bella asked, her voice finding a higher pitch than she had intended.

"Yes, we could use all the help we can get, and since you understand dragons so well, perhaps you could aid in getting Crosell to agree," Fayt continued in a gentle tone. Bella shook her head.

"I can't risk going back to Airyglyph. Remember how I mentioned being a prisoner? I wasn't released…" Bella responded. Fayt, Nel, and Cliff all glanced at each other, sharing a smile.

"Neither were we. If you stay with us, you should be fine," Fayt insisted. Bella sighed, thinking for a moment.

"If you can guarantee my freedom while there, I will go with you," Bella consented.

"Alright, that's settled. Let's go," Fayt said. Bella, together with the interesting assortment she had met, turned to leave the Mountains of Barr. Bella, regardless of her decision not to get attached, found she had a fond curiosity towards them. Their strength, skill, and purpose were beyond the regular humdrum she had grown up with. Bella decided that she was relieved by the offer, for she desired to observe them further.

Bella's choice to join Fayt and the rest proved beneficial as soon as they left the Mountain of Barr. Waiting for them at the base, by the Bequeral mines, was a small group of the Dragon Brigade, waiting with their air dragons.

"Lord Albel, back already?" one of them greeted. Bella tilted her head to the side curiously. She had thought they said Albel was the general of the Black Brigade, not the Dragon Brigade.

"Take us back to Airyglyph," he ordered. The men saluted, and the dragons lowered themselves for easy boarding.

"Did you find the Marquis?" one nosy soldier asked as he helped Maria onto one of the air dragons.

"No, there is something we need from Airyglyph first. Have anymore annoying questions?" Albel retorted.

"No sir," the soldier responded, perhaps a bit too jovially. The rest of the party were helped onto Dragons, doubling up with the soldiers.

"Er, there seems to be an extra person…" one of the soldiers mentioned, tilting his head towards Bella, who was whispering something to one of the air dragons, and stroking its muzzle.

"Maria's small, have her hop on with Maria," Cliff suggested.

"Sorry, there isn't enough seat room for three…" a soldier protested.

"Then you walk; she can take the reigns," Albel said severely. The soldier sputtered a few syllables before a comprehensible word came out.

"But… but… no one can lead Drift but me!" he protested. Bella hopped up, taking the reigns.

"[Drift is what he calls you, is it? Could you forgo your bond partner for one ride?" Bella asked, patting Drift on the neck. The dragon craned its neck.

"What is she saying?" someone asked.

"[He proved himself to me. None but one who is worthy may guide me." Drift intoned.

"[I mean you no offence, oh majestic dragon of the air. However, we are running out of time, and the life of your worthy rider, and everyone else, is at risk. Surely you understand," Bella explained. The Dragon shook its head, remaining silent for a moment.

"[Alright… but only due to these dire circumstances, fool human," he said, giving a mighty flap of his wings to get himself airborne. He looked down at his rider, whom was baffled and affronted.

"He says it's alright, only under these dire circumstances," Bella shouted down. Maria, although used to turbulence from going in and out of gravitic warp and surviving battles in ships, felt uneasy and grabbed tightly onto Bella's waist as the dragon flapped higher and higher.

"I shall return for you if he waits outside of Arias," the dragon told his rider. The stranded soldier shouted a sound of acknowledgement back, and waved frantically.

Bella smiled, feeling the wind and thin air of higher altitudes. Flying was just as amazing as she had imagined it. If it weren't for the loud rush of passing wind in her ears, she would have started a conversation with Drift. As it was, the only person she could hear, and hope to hear her, was Maria. There was nothing either of them seemed inclined to talk about at first.

"Why were you a prisoner in Airyglyph?" Maria finally asked having to shout lest the wind carry away her voice.

"They mistook me for an Aquarian while I was on my way to the Mountains of Barr!" Bella responded, having to shout louder to be heard by Maria.

"Is that all? Why are you concerned about it, if the countries are at peace now?" Maria ventured further.

"I tried to escape and attacked several of their soldiers in the process. I failed, though," Bella explained, her voice cracking a little under the stress.

"Then how did you get out if you weren't released?"

"I had some anonymous help," Bella shouted. "As for you, what is that device that shoots the searing light? Some miniature runological weapon?"

"It's a laser gun! It doesn't use runology!" Maria responded.

"Then how does it work?" Bella inquired, her throat starting to feel strained from constant shouting.

"It's complicated; maybe I'll try and explain it when we don't need to shout!" Maria yell.

"Fair enough!" Bella agreed. The rest of the trip was silent. Finally the flock slowed, and glided down to the snowy bridge in front of Airyglyph. The air dragons manoeuvred their wings to allow a gentle landing. Once again on the ground, the various party members slipped off, some of them offering their thanks. As soon as Maria and Bella were off of Drift, he shot back into the sky, flying towards Arias. Bella watched as he quickly became a spec in the sky, while the rest caught their breath and tried to warm themselves.

The sextet walked through the streets of Airyglyph, and though some glares of prejudice were cast their way, particularly at Nel, they received no trouble. Hiking along the back path that lead to the entrance of the Aqueducts, Bella wondered how her mother was doing. She knew now was not the time to seek her out, but she tried to make a mental note to try and find her residence the next time she was in the city of Airyglyph. Mother or not, however, Bella could not see herself returning again after this one errand.

Bella stood with the rest of the group in the entrance of the Aqueducts. Before them stretched a large room of ice. Bella huddled herself beneath her cape. She wanted to find the glowstone as soon as possible and get out. The cold never was something she could adapt well to.

"The ice may look solid, but we need to tread carefully," Nel cautioned.

"Yeah, yeah, just like last time. No problem" Cliff said, waving his hand dismissively. Nel shook her head, fixing Cliff with an apprehensive look. Such a reaction was dignified, for while they moved across the ice, the sound of ice cracking rang loud in their ears. Barely moments later, the ice beneath Cliff broke apart, opening a maw of jagged ice teeth to swallow him up in its freezing depths. Shouts of panic rang out, as Cliff, using his superior speed and strength, gripped a hold of the edge of the ice, only to have it break at his grasp and pull him further under. Within moments Fayt, Nel, and Maria had rushed to the edge of the ice, but not daring to tread further lest they also be swallowed up and just create a large problem. Nel lay flat on her belly, sliding towards the edge.

"Grab a hold of my hands!" she called, reaching her arms out to Cliff.

"I'll just end up pulling you down here with me, don't worry," he called as he treaded the freezing water with some difficulty. Even great swimmers, caught off guard and in breath-stealing temperatures can barely keep afloat. Bella got onto her hands and knees and slid over to Nel, taking a hold of her legs. She glanced over at her shoulder to yell at the others to come and help. However, it wasn't necessary, as her example was loud enough that Maria and Fayt joined in anchoring Nel.

"It's alright, I'm weighed down. Take my hands before you freeze or drown!" Nel screamed. Finally, Cliff's wet, frozen hands took a hold of hers, and with the help of Bella, Fayt, and Maria, she pulled him out and onto more solid ice. Cliff and Nel lay there, catching their breath. Bella glanced around, as they seemed to be missing one of the party. Inspecting a large ice obstacle across the chamber was Albel, ignoring the current danger. Cliff, his teeth chattering like castanets followed her gaze, seeing Albel off.

"G-glad to know h-he's got my back…" Cliff muttered.

"He's not wasting time finding that glowstone, and everyone else was helping you… don't start on him," Bella reproached, not taking her eyes off of him.

"W-what? I'm the one w-whose freezing here… and you're d-defending him? Man you're c-cold…" he responded. Bella finally turned to look at him.

"Enough, we need to get you somewhere warm and dry," Nel said, slowly getting to her feet.

"Time is of the essence. I'll take him into town and make sure he gets taken care of, you continue searching for that glowstone," Bella volunteered.

"H-hey, I'll be fine! How d-do you exp-p-pect to g-get anything done w-w-without me?" Cliff protested. Bella cuffed him on the head.

"Don't be a fool, and come with me," she said, as he cringed and rubbed his head.

"Give me one of those disintegration bombs," Albel's voice demanded. Fayt jumped a little, turning around to see him right behind him, with an outstretched hand.

"Now's not the ti-"

"Do you want to risk the world because that clumsy fool fell through ice? Give it to me, or I'll take them from you," Albel interrupted. Fayt shoved the package into his outstretched hand, displaying obvious irritation. After observing that interaction, Bella grabbed Cliff's hand.

"Come, we're going. Let's all meet at the local inn," Bella said. Cliff's protests fell on empty ears, as both Maria and Nel agreed that he needed to go and warm up. Defeated, the klaus-icle was dragged out of the Aqueducts by Bella, as Albel contemplated on how to use the bombs without causing harm to himself.

"I'm not just any regular human, you know… it'd take more than a chill to put me out of commission," grumbled Cliff plaintively from behind a curtain. Bella shook her head, her back to the curtain, going through a bag of clothes.

"Yes, but if you got sick you'd be a hindrance," Bella said sharply. She pulled out some warm dry clothes that looked like they'd fit him. She reached behind her, holding them out to him, all the while looking the opposite way. He grabbed them quickly.

"I just can't stand to be here takin' it easy while they're toughing the Aqueducts," Cliff snorted.

"You're here now, stop complaining," Bella responded. With a prompt plop, cold wet black leather landed beside her. She had expected it to be ruined, or warped, but somehow, the leather seemed unaffected. "What was this leather cured with? It's barely harmed…"

"Hmm? I dunno, as long as it is good quality, I don't care about the details," Cliff responded, shuffling behind her. Picked up the wet leather and began to shake the worst of the moisture out of it. As she did so, the door creaked open. Bella glanced up at the wiry, withered frame of her mother, who was holding a tray.

Bella had, by unbelievable chance, encountered her mother as she was dragging Cliff to the tavern. Her mother did not recognize her right away, as she was returning home with groceries in an agitated hurry. However, once connections were established, her mother insisted that her and her attractive male friend come home with her, as her home was closer, and just as warm as any inn. So it was that Bella had reconnected with her mother, although there was some stiffness between them. Bella was certain when her mother had the opportunity, she would give her an earful about leaving her like that. Of course, offering such swift hospitality put Bella in no place to be discourteous or rude, and the only acceptable option would be to nod and agree that she, Bella, was a terrible daughter. So she braced herself for this confrontation while her mother set down a tray that held two steaming bowls and a quarter of bread, and a metal flask of alcohol.

"Here's something to warm you on the inside. Oh, gives those to me, I'll have them dry in no time," her mother said, her golden-brown eyes just as sharp as ever, regardless of how subdued or meek her tone sounded. She grabbed Cliff's wet clothes from Bella, and whisked out of the room without another word.

"Somehow didn't imagine you to have, well, such a typical mother," Cliff said, pulling back the curtain. He tsked, pulling at the loose tunic he was forced to wear. Bella stared at him.

"What do you mean by that?" she inquired. He smoothed some of the wrinkles on the clothes with little success, not looking at Bella.

"Well, you gotta get it from somewhere," he continued.

"Get… what?" Bella asked as she picked up her bowl of soup.

"You know," he said, finally looking up at her. He reached for how to explain what 'it' was, his hand drifting in the air as he tried to think. Finally he shrugged and gave up. "Ah, never mind."

"Eat your soup," Bella instructed, between blowing on a spoonful of broth.

"Eh?" Cliff cocked his head to the side, perching a fist on his hip. "Great, I'm being mothered by you now, too."

"You're strong. It would be tragic for you to lose your health to carelessness. Eat your soup."

"Oh yeah? Tragic? Well, finally someone sees it like it is," he said, lighting up a little since he'd been dragged away from the current task.

"Yes, tragic. Eat your soup," Bella repeated without missing a beat.

"Okay, okay!" Cliff said impatiently. He walked over to the tray, picking up a bowl. He stirred the broth with a spoon, scooping some up, and then letting it leak back into the bowl. "Geez, what is in this?"

"Food. Eat it," Bella continued. He watched as she sipped hers away, spoonful by spoonful. Shrugging, he blew on a spoonful, and sampled it. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"It isn't half bad, could use some meat though," Cliff remarked. Bella nodded. She preferred a diet of mostly meat herself. However, warm soup after being in the cold was welcome. "So… if you grew up in Kirlsa, why is your mother here?"

"She remarried and moved to Airyglyph," Bella responded shortly.

"Ah," he responded. He put the spoon down, and lifted the soup to his lips, draining the contents directly from the dish. Bella lowered her bowl and watched him do this, focusing in on his Adam's apple bob with each swallow. She pondered again at the relevance of the rings painted on his neck.

"Why do you have li9nes on your neck?" she finally asked. Speculation was not satisfying without confirmation. He put down his bowl and stared at her for a moment. Then he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh yeah… I'd almost forgot I gave you the brief version of the story. Hoo boy…" His eyes shifted from her, to some closed window shutters. Bella waited patiently as he rolled back his head, thinking. "Well, uh, you see… this new enemy came from another world," he began. Bella made herself comfortable, getting the feeling she might be in for a long story.

"A new world? You don't mean just a far away country, do you?' she asked. He shook his head. There was a clank as he put his bowl back down on the tray.

"Nope. I mean from beyond the sky. You see, out there, there are many other worlds. Some of the stars you are planets, with different kind of people," he began to explain. He paused momentarily, eyeing the flask that sat on the tray. Bella caught this glance.

"Go ahead, she said a little would help keep off the cold," Bella said. With a pleasant smile, he took the flask and popped out the cork, taking a swig. He cleared his throat, and then looked back at Bella.

"The reason I know about other worlds, is because;"

"You're from beyond the stars, right?" Bella interrupted. He took another drink, and nodded.

"Yup," he said, snapping his fingers and pointing at her. Then he pointed to his neck. "I'm a Klausian, and this is just, a, uh, natural way of telling people not to mess with us, see? Klausians are much stronger than most other humans," he said with a hint of pri8de in his voice. Bella sighed, glancing down.

"So you are far from home… I imagine you'd want to go back sometime," Bella remarked.

"Hm?" he raised his eyebrows. "Well, yeah, but even when I leave this hunk o' rock, it will probably be a long time before I ever head home," Cliff said slowly, appraising her. "Why do you ask? Don't say you've gone and gotten attached to me already, not that I could blame you."

"I don't get attached to people easily. I'm just fascinated… I knew you couldn't be just any regular human…" Bella responded. Cliff rested his elbows on his knees.

"Smart girl. As soon as we get that big air dragon's help to deal with the Vendeeni, I'll be saying goodbye to this place."

"You seem to really dislike this world," Bella observed quietly.

"Well… I just don't like feeling stranded is all…" Cliff said carefully.

"I see… when you've seen many worlds… this one must seem small to you. It's big enough for me, I don't need to complicate things for myself by imagining how large and expansive out… there… might be," Bella responded.

"Probably for the best," Cliff said, setting the flask aside. He stood up. "So how soon before I can change back into my clothes?"

"It will take a while since it is winter," she muttered. She shifted herself again. "So… I suppose Maria, and that weapon of hers, and from beyond as well?"

"Yup. This world is too primitive to come up with a sophisticated weapon like that," Cliff said, starting to drum his finger on the table beside him.

"We don't need to make weapons like that. We have dragons… and runology," Bella said, sniffing indignantly.

"Oh yeah? She's been doing just fine battle the dragons with her gun. The range DOES give her an edge," he teased.

"She had help of others. By herself, she'd be a snack," Bella insisted. Cliff held up his arms, shaking his head.

"Whatever you say… I wonder if they are back yet? Probably looking all over for us at the inn…"

"I left a message with the innkeeper where to find us," Bella responded.

"You really think ahead, don't you?" he remarked.

"Sometimes," Bella said quietly.

"Well, you seemed to take hearing about people from other worlds pretty easily," Cliff responded. "Most people are sceptical."

"It would have to be a power not of this world that would threaten ours. Why would anything that called this home try to destroy it, short of some God? And if it were a God's design, then I doubt anyone would step up to try and fight a God. No one really wants to die to save the world."

"I guess… that makes sense… but, you know, we could die trying to save YOUR world," Cliff reminded.

"Do you want to die to save our world, though?" Bella asked.

"Well… no… but if I don't, I'll just end up dead with the rest of you anyway," Cliff said with a shrug.

"Than any shot, no matter how dismal the chances, is worth it, since the result will be the same… but if you could just run and save yourselves, you would, wouldn't you?" Bella arched an eyebrow.

"Well… I might… but… I doubt Fayt'd stand for it. Of course, he never could keep his nose out of where it doesn't belong if he felt something wasn't fair," Cliff responded. "As it is, though, if we fled, they'd come after us anyway. Our presence i9s what brought them here, so since we caused this mess, it'd only be responsible for us to clean it up…"

"So you aren't heroes after all. You're fighting your own fight, and got this world entangled in it," Bella accused.

"Well… yeah… but we didn't come here on purpose. We sort of… crashed here trying to get away from the enemy…" Cliff began to explain.

"Still, you're as much of the problem as these… ven… vendeer…"

"Vendeeni," Cliff corrected.

"Vendeeni. You aren't trying to save this world, you are just acting on a guilty conscience for luring this enemy here. However… your intentions don't matter too much to me as long as the end result is still survival. Whether you are noble and heroic, or just picking up after yourself, if I, and this world, lives, what does it matter?"

"Exactly. That's the spirit," Cliff said. The door opened again. Bella's mother slipped in wordlessly, taking the tray and dirty dishes. She paused before exiting, and turned around.

"Bella, why don't you come and help me clean up? I am sure our guest would like some rest," she asked, although there was a leathery whip-crack tone hidden under matronly politeness.

"Actually I-" Cliff began.

"I will bring up your clothes when they are dry. Just relax," his mother continued, some of the kindness melting away, revealing the iron will behind. Cliff swallowed his words and just nodded his head. Bella sighed and followed her mother through the door, leaving Cliff to entertain himself. Bella knew what was coming.


	12. Chapter 12: Promise

**A/N:** Ever feel like no one is listening to you because they just don't respond to anything you have to say? Yeah, it's annoying. Think about that for a while.  
Anyway, as for the progress of the story, it's going fairly slow. In case you have not noticed, I am a BIG dialogue nut! I like my drawn out conversations. I'm also trying to, at the start, give everyone a bit of time to shine. Since, although not in first person perspective, I try to keep the focus on Bella, and what she sees or hears, this means she needs to have a bit of one-on-one with each of the characters. I think I've managed that so far. If I'm wrong, feel free to notify me.

* * *

Chapter 12 

The crackling of the fire was appropriate ambience, suited to the lines on an old, yet firm, face, which expressed displeasure. Bella remained as quiet and neutral as she could, not showing fear in the face of the opposition: her mother. Bella didn't hate her mother, she just knew that an unfriendly moment between them was arriving. Contention between family was not Bella's goal.

"So, you just run off for a few years, and then come back, expecting everything to be as it was?" her mother said in a low, withery voice. Bella sighed, shaking her head ever so slowly.

"You were the one who invited me in," Bella reminded her. Her mother's arms slowly folded over her chest, interlocking in a way to show her bony, sharp elbows, which weren't as piercing as her eyes.

"That man was freezing – what you were doing that got him in such a condition is beyond me. I am not a barbarian, you know. I did everything I could to be a good mother and treat you right, I did better than your father ever did! So why did you run away from me?" she inquired, her chin quivering. It was hard to say if it was anger or actual regret that caused this. Bella rubbed her arm, but never took her eyes off of her mother.

"You were good to me, but I didn't think you'd understand what I wanted to do with my life… so rather than argue with you, I just thought it was best to quietly slip away. It had nothing to do with you or father," Bella explained in a calm, assertive tone. Her mother remained still for a moment, eyes like a hawk, behind tightly stretched, aged skin, boring into her.

"You didn't trust me enough to even try to explain to me then? Well, what about now. What is it that you have made of yourself! I heard all sorts of rumours of a woman who roamed the wilderness like some savage, and quite often, they said it was you!" Her mother's voice faltered and she pointed a long, shaking finger at Bella.

"I wasn't savage. I just wanted to know that I could take care of myself without the devices of man. I don't want to be just any human, and I don't want to inherit their foolishness, dependency, and unfounded arrogance! If I am to be proud, it is because I have ample reason to be," Bella said, a flicker in her eye. Yes, this was what she was reaching for. If her world were to be destroyed, then she'd regret, dead or alive, never being able to prove to herself that she could reach beyond human.

"You are speaking lunacy! You are human, why can't you just accept that, and just settle down? You may still be too young to understand that what you may see as a dull life is very rewarding! You can't be happy reaching for something you can't ever become! You'll live a life of failure and regret. If you just settle, and do what YOU know you can do, as other women have done before and will continue to do, I promise you, you will truly be content!" her mother assured. Bella rolled back her head, letting in a enormous intake of air, letting it slip out in a slow, exasperated sigh.

"I've already gone to far, and I can not go back. I won't be happy, not now, and I do not regret this decision. I have already seen, for myself, people beyond any of our capabilities! I can go farther, and until I reach a dead end, I am not giving up. Do not try to persuade me otherwise," Bella insisted firmly.

"Why? Why can't you go back? Why do you have to run yourself into a corner before you will come to your sense, my girl? You're my only baby ever to live long enough to grow up… don't you know how it hurts me that you do this? I need you," her mother cried, emotion beginning to creep into her voice. Bella raked her lower lip with her teeth. She felt herself being cornered by her mother's desire to inflict her with guilt. It was working. Against all reasoning, and attempt not to be affected, it was beginning to work. For that, Bella was starting to actually resent her mother for the first time.

"Need me? You got remarried, how much could you need me? I am not trying to cause you this pain, however, I am not going to let you, or anyone else, get in my way. I don't want to leave this house with contention between us, but if that is the only way you will let me depart, then so be it," Bella said in a low, hushed tone. Her mother's eyes shifted rapidly, her tight mouth slowly gaping. Her mother stood there, stunned for an awkward moment. Finally, her mother lowered her head, averting her gaze.

"I… how could you?" her mother lifted her gaze again, fire burning in the golden-brown irises. "You are my daughter! No matter where you go or what you do, you are my daughter! I once carried you, sacrificing my health so that you may live! We were connected by our navels, and your blood is my blood. You can't change that! You have an obligation to me, Bella, you have an obligation! If you leave here, I want you to never come back! Each time I see you running here or there, it will be harder and harder for me…" her mother put a venous hand to her chest. "You will kill my blood! I was the only daughter of my mother, and I brought her joy when you were born, even though she died two years after! Running about in danger, you will kill us all!"

"Calm yourself! Now you are being the one who is being irrational! I am not going to die young, mother. I can not do as you would like and be an ordinary girl, living my days cooking and cleaning for a man, talking about the weather and the gossip of the town! However, I can make you one promise, I am not going to be the end of our family line…" Bella took her mother's shaking hand into hers. "I'll bear you a grandchild one day… what good would it be to become strong, and then not pass it on to a new generation?" Bella watched with satisfaction as her mother's eyes began to soften.

"You promise? A grandchild? That I will get to hold, and rest on my knee?" her mother asked. She glanced aside, caught in a thought that gave her obvious displeasure. She whipped her gaze back to Bella. "It'd better be a legitimate grandchild… I will not accept any bastard into my home!" She stared into Bella's eyes. "You aren't already pregnant are you? IS that why you make the promise, because you already made some horrible mistake? Is it his? Is it?" she asked, pointing towards the room where Cliff was left to rest. Bella shook her head the entire time her mother began making accusations. She squeezed her mother's hand to get her attention.

"No, mother! A million times no! Him and his associates are on a quest, and I joined them… and when he fell in the ice water, I offered to take him back while they continued searching. That is all... I've only been an acquaintance of his for a short while. I assure you, I am not with child. I promise you that one day I will be… in wedlock," Bella tagged on the latter with a sigh. Humans and their rituals had their purposes, but after a while, they became complicated and illogical. Whilst she had nothing against marriage, it seemed strange that children outside of wedlock were cast out and put down. If marriage was to enforce and protect a family, so that the children had the support they needed, didn't the children born from fornication need even more help, not to be scorned and thrown onto the streets? Bella could not wrap her mind around some of the ideas or cultural nuances of most humankind. So, her mother was clever enough to catch her forfeiting mention of marriage. _Oh well_, Bella thought to herself, _I am certain I can convince a man with strong blood to marry me, even if I do have to use coercion or blackmail_. _If humans weren't so foolish, these methods wouldn't work on them. It's a pity Cliff is from a far away world._

"Well, as long as you keep your promise, I can have some peace of mind at last…" her mother said. She fell into a chair, seeming to deflate in exhaustion from working up many strong emotions. Bella calmly nodded to her mother.

"I will keep my promise. You can depend on that," Bella assured. Her mother simply nodded, stifling a yawn. Her mother sleepily glanced over to where Cliff's clothes hung, by the fire. Bella followed her gaze. "Let me check that." Bella walked over, rubbing the garments between her fingers, checking for dampness. Now that she touched it with intent to examine it, it didn't feel quite like leather. It had the texture of it, but seemed somewhat more elastic. It had a lot more give than any leather she had seen. Nonetheless, it was dry. She knew Cliff would be glad for that. She hung them over her arm, and headed back to Cliff.

"Cliff, your clothes are dry..." Bella said as she opened the door. She glanced up, seeing him sit, with a look of one who is failing to look inconspicuous. Bella perched a hand on her hip, staring at him. "You… were eavesdropping, weren't you?"

"Who me?" he asked, continuing to feign innocence. Bella shook her head, walking over and dumping his clothes on his lap. "About time."

"Perhaps where you come from it takes only a few seconds to get clothes clean and dry. You need to have more patience; what else are you going to do?" Bella said, eyeing him. Bella had more to say, but a knock at the door interrupted her.

"There are a group of people approaching the house, would they be those people you said you were travelling with?" came her mother's voice. Bella stood up and silently walked out of the room, leaving Cliff to get back into his regular clothes. She walked with her mother to the small window by the door just as an uncertain knock was heard. Bella nodded.

"That is them, alright," Bella responded. Her mother opened the door.

"You are whom Bella has been travelling with, yes?" her mother asked as she jerked the door open. Bella watched over her mother's shoulder as Fayt, whom had been the knocker, stood abashed, and then nervously nodded his head. "Well," her mother said briskly as she held the door wider and stepped aside, "don't stand there awkwardly; come in."

Fayt stood with a bit of awkward silence as he glanced back at Maria, and then shrugged and entered. Bella watched as her mother watched each person enter with scrutiny. She eyed Fayt critically. She gave an appraising glance at Maria. She scowled judgementally at Nel. Prepared to deliver another disconcerting glare, her eyes instead shot wide open, and her wiry frame was shaken as she watched Albel enter (with reluctance of course.)

"L-Lord Nox!" she stuttered, throwing a hand up to her mouth, and then instantly lowering her head. Her pale cheeks filled with alien blush. Like a true Kirlsa citizen, she was quite familiar with both Lord Nox and Lord Woltar, and being confronted with the more dangerous of the two, Bella could see she was both humiliated and terrified. Her mother subtly slid Bella an angry glance, for not preparing her for this. Albel paused, gazing down at her with his aloof expression of disdain he greeted everyone with, and said nothing. Albel walked to an unoccupied space within the room, and folded his arms, glaring at no one in particular.

"This is my mother, Stella Le…" she trailed off, glancing at her mother, unsure of what name her mother currently held.

"Stella G-Glane, if you please," her mother said nervously. Bella nodded.

"Mother, this is Fayt Leingod," she said, gesturing towards Fayt, who nodded to her politely. "Beside him is Maria Traydor," she continued, saying Maria's surname carefully, and then she pointed Nel out, "and this is Nel Zelpher, of Aquaria… and you already recognize Albel Nox. You already know that the drowned rat was Cliff Fittir."

"I'm a what?" came his familiar voice as he stepped into the room. "So I got a little damp… no reason to go around referring to me as a drowned rat. I may be uns6toppable, but I have feelings too, you know."

"Mother, why don't you warm up some of that soup…" Bella suggested. Her mother nodded, and soon whisked out of the room. Once she was gone, Bella turned to the group. "I apologize about her, she doesn't like the idea of me travelling. Did you find the glowstone?"

"Yes, we have it. We just need to hurry back to the Lava Caves," Fayt confirmed. Bella nodded and glanced to Cliff.

"Well, suppose they made fine without you, so it wasn't a waste to come here and get warm and dry," Bella said. Cliff waved a hand at her dismissively. "At any rate, we can stay long enough to have a warm meal."

"No arguments there. If we want to make it, we have to take care of ourselves," Nel said. Fayt nodded in agreement.

"There isn't a lot of furniture here, but try to make yourselves comfortable. I am going to go persuade my mother to serve some meat," Bella said, and vanished into the kitchen.

Bella walked in, to where her mother had a large pot bubbling in the fireplace, frantically adding more substance to it. Hearing her daughter enter, her mother whipped her head towards Bella.

"Why didn't you tell me?" her mother asked. She crumbled some dry herbs into the pot to compensate for the added water. "My late husband said he was arrested for treason…"

"Late husband? You didn't tell me he'd died…"

"We did even reach a year together before he was killed by the Celestial Ship… like many others," her mother said bitterly. Bella walked closer to her mother.

"Celestial ship? That must be what Cliff calls the Vendeeni. Mother, Albel and the rest are on a journey to try and save us from that Celestial ship," Bella said.

"How?" her mother asked dubiously.

"With the combined effort of Airyglyph and Aquaria," Bella responded vaguely. Her mother continued to look doubtful. "I'm skeptical as well, but if they manage it, I want to see it with my own eyes. I am not running a fool's errand by accompanying them, I am merely going to witness the salvation or destruction of our home."

"And Lord Nox? Was he, or was he not, arrested for treason?" her mother asked, wringing her hands uneasily. Bella wondered why that concern presided over the possible ruin of their countries.

"I honestly don't know the details… all I know is he will be pardoned if he helps them accomplish this task. Why are you so concerned?" Bella asked.

"Leonard, may he rest in peace, was a soldier in the Black Brigade, and was quite upset and didn't believe the charges put against him by that Duke Vox," her mother paused to spit on the floor out of an old habit. Bella stepped back instinctively. "Personally I always preferred benevolent Lord Woltar, but at least Lord Nox does what is required of him, and doesn't go about messing with the politics… though if you ask me, he's turned out fairly wild, that Nox boy," her mother whispered. Bella simply shook her head. She had remembered the name Nox, but for a long time did not hear Albel and Nox put together. She was familiar with Glau Nox, having lived in Kirlsa years ago.

"Careful, he might hear you," bella cautioned, more to silence her mother than to warn her.

"Oh… right…" her mother said quietly.

"Do you have any cold ham in storage? I think with a noble in the house, you can't be too sparing on the luxuries," Bella suggested. Her mother paused a moment.

"I'll go get ham… mutton is too low grade to serve to our guests! Don't worry, the ham is already cooked, you won't have to wait long," her mother insisted, and whisked away to a large wooden hatch, and descended down into the cold cellar. Bella walked back to where the others waited patiently.

"You will be served in a few more moments, then you'd past stock up on any supplies we need, and head out," Bella announced. She could see most were eager to fill their bellies with something warm. She, herself, was looking forward to finally having some meat. She eyed Albel, a slow smirk spreading across her face. He was turning out to be her ace in the hole after all. Pleased with her situation, and plots running through her mind, she sat down on the dirty floor, and waited to eat.


	13. Chapter 13: Worthiness

**A/N:** I didn't slow down! Honest! Okay, maybe I did. It's the winter holidays, and so I've been preoccupied with certain, er, obligations. I find that holidays are more busy than relaxing. Anyway, here's a short chapter with a little conflict.

**Chapter 13: **_**Worthiness**_

The warmth of the tavern flooded into Bella's cheeks. She had slipped away while the others were stocking on supplies. She stood in the doorway, scanning the room. She walked further in, glancing up at a second level. She walked over to the wooden stairs and up on the open platform. The tavern was considerably emptier than her last visit - and not much time had passed. However, the subject of her search was spotted pacing, muttering things to himself. With a gratified smile, she walked over.

"Lias was it?" she asked. The man looked up from his thoughts, a little startled. Recognizing her, he smiled pleasantly.

"Yes, that is me. I take it you have come seeking me services after all," he hazarded a guess. Bella nodded, patting a hefty money pouch attached to her side. She made sure to bring her shoddy equipment to the attention of Fayt through subtle maneuvers, until he offered to buy her better equipment. She said it would be best if he just gave her money to purchase her own equipment, and managed to convince him to hand over a generous lump sum of eight thousand fol.

"I would like you to make better claws for me," she said, taking off her gauntlets and showing them to him. "Take another look where you could make improvements. I can't leave them with you, since I need them."

"Alright," he said, taking them and examining them. He crouched down and opened a satchel, getting out a piece of paper and a writing utensil. He walked to the nearest table, and began jotting down some notes. "Is there something specific in mind?"

"No, just better. These have served me fine, so any improvement on them is enough for me," Bella said. He nodded, continuing to write down schematics and mathematical equations.

"When do you need them by?" he asked.

"I'd prefer it as soon as possible, but no later than a week," Bella responded. She knew she couldn't have them done before they left. If Fayt asked why she didn't get equipment, she can simply explain that in Airyglyph they don't HAVE equipment suitable for a woman's build, and had to get it custom-made. It was mainly true. "I'll pay you 6000 fol now for material and equipment expenses, an then a twenty per cent bonus on top of that when you are done finished, but only if you finish it before the week is up."

Lias paused from his plans and stared at her. He slowly nodded his head. "A week? I can have it done before then. Come back in a few days. You will not be disappointed," he said. Bella counted out 6000 fol and handed it to him. They shook hands on the deal, and Bella put her gauntlets back on. "Pleasure doing business."

"Indeed," Bella responded, turning away. She was to meet them and some members of the dragon Brigade just outside of the city.

Bella rushed through the streets, not wishing to keep anyone waiting. To her satisfaction, she was not the last one to arrive. In fact, she was the second to reach the rendezvous point. The only other person there was Albel. Although shivering, he stood with as much arrogant poise as ever. The feather-rimmed cloak he had wasn't enough to keep him warm.

"What is keeping those fools?" he asked no one in particular. Bella trudged through the compact snow over to him, as he stood glowering impatiently.

"It is a pity Fayt has the glowstone, otherwise we could just leave them behind and get that ring made as soon as possible," Bella remarked. He lifted his gaze and glanced over at her, the cool breeze rustling through his bangs.

"We?" he repeated superciliously. Bella gave a curt nod and stared at him with a level gaze.

"Yes, we," she said firmly.

"Why would I wait for a maggot like you? My part of the task would be over if you all weren't slowing me down," he responded haughtily.

"Because the lava caves make you uneasy," Bella responded promptly. Albel was quiet, but his silence spoke volumes to his anger. She could almost feel the heat of his blood reaching her through the wind chill, and hear the smoldering of his intense glare. Nonetheless, Bella did not remove her gaze or back down. She held her face neutral, so he was forced only to see a reflection of his own ire. "Your agitation only confirms my perception…" anger began turning to fury; his hand was on his hilt. Bella did not bat an eye. She began to slow her breathing, putting calmness over her body to counter-balance his seething anger. "Don't try to fool me; you haven't even fooled yourself with your hubris. You don't want to go back."

That was the last Bella could say before an iron grip enclosed around her throat. With little resistance, she was shoved against a tall, stone post at the end of the bridge, and crimson eyes penetrated, like hot needles. "That is enough!" he growled. "One more word, and I'll cause you so much pain you'll be begging for death!" The small group of waiting Dragon Brigade soldiers turned a blind eye to the scene - in case it got ugly.

"Don't take your rage out on me because there's some fear or pain YOU need to face. We all have them. The strong are not the exception," The words were forced out in a raspy sound, cracks of high pitched noise interrupting at the end of some words as the air was forced to press through a narrow opening. Still, obstructed as her windpipe was, she forced the words through with an uninterrupted flow, her level gaze adding weight to each word where her uncontrollable voice and tone could not. She felt the grip tighten, and her breaths unable to pass anymore. There was a hot tingling in her lips as silence hung over both of them. Just as the grip was causing her vision to blot, he released her very suddenly, turning away sharply. Bella stumbled away from the stone pillar and took in deep, rejuvenating breaths. She lifted her head, examining Albel. She wasn't provocative by nature; at least, in the way where she tries her hardest to get under people's skin. Instead, she was somewhat analytical, and curious; the sort of curiosity that has killed many a cat.

Bella watched as Albel stood still as a statue, the snow falling gently around him. His back remained to her for some time, although she could tell that he kept his hand on his sword. Bella remained quiet. She said what needed to be said, and knew saying anything more would be malicious, or at least, unwise. Bella was mildly relieved when the rest of the crew had trickled over to them. It was obvious that they could feel the tension, as they, too, were very quiet as they divided the supplies evenly, and prepared to fly back to the Mountains of Barr.

As Bella strapped herself in properly to one of the dragons, she caught a glance from Albel. It was a brief glance of red, too brief for Bella to read the complexity of the expression before he looked onward, and her view was obscured by a raised dragon wing. The next moment, the dragons were launching into the cold air. Bella turned and looked ahead of her. No matter what transpired, there was only one way to move; forward. However, perhaps now, more than ever, she had better take Albel's advice and sleep with one eye open.

They retraced their steps along the Mountains of Barr to reach Vanilla's workshop again. A tense silence continued to hang over them, except for a few small conversations between Cliff and Fayt, and occasionally Maria joined in their chatter. Bella did not say a single word, at least, to the others. She kept strictly to speaking with dragons to try and divert their aggression. It worked for the most part until…

"Bella, I don't think you can talk your way out of this one…" came Cliff's voice, as Bella faced a large air dragon. The previous slaughter of dragons by this group did not go unnoticed. Bella slid her glance towards the others, who were drawing their weapons. Bella glared at them, holding out a hand to signal them to stay back.

"Just go, I'll lead it away. Just go!" Bella said. She was tired of having to kill dragons. This was not why she had come here. She wanted to live in harmony with them, to learn from them. Then again, she didn't come here, expecting the world as she knew it to be in jeopardy.

"But-" Fayt protested.

"Go, or I'll set you on fire," Bella growled. There was a moment of hesitance, but then Fayt nodded his head, and made a dash towards the cave that opened behind a waterfall. The others followed. Bella turned her attention back to the hovering dragon.

"Do not get in my way, foolish human!" the dragon warned, preparing to dive at the fleeing company. Bella shook her head.

"They've killed many dragons so far. Together, they will kill you. Stay back," Bella warned. The dragon swooped down at her, forcing her to throw herself to the ground to evade it. Picking herself up, she looked over her shoulder, and saw the dragon hovering closely behind her.

"You know it would be easy for me to end you. Why did you stay behind, rather than work with them to fight me? You stand no chance…" the dragon asked, its yellow eyes following along her contours, trying again to comprehend the stupidity of the human race. Bella slowly picked herself up, turning to face the dragon.

"You'd be a challenge for them, even working together. They don't have that kind of time! Listen to me, lord of the skies! A threat from beyond our world has arrived, and it could mean the end of everything!" Bella cried, holding her arms out to the dragon in a gesture to show she is not a threat. The dragon extended its long neck, placing its narrow snout close to her face.

"You mean that celestial vessel that reigned searing light from the skies?" the dragon asked. Bella nodded her head. _That is probably what it was…_ Bella thought to herself. She had not seen it for herself, just the carnage left behind. "It only strikes where fool humans are. It does not concern us. Besides a stronger power resonating from here removed that threat," the dragon discounted.

"There are more, and from what I gather, they are even more powerful. Having one of their, er, celestial vessels destroyed, they are likely more angry, and have every intention of destroying everything on this world. That includes you and your kin. So please, don't stand in their way… it was wrong of them to kill your kind, but I tried to dissuade them from it! The less intelligent dragons, however…"

"They have a right to defend their territory," the dragon interrupted. "The conquests of human kind, spreading like a plague of insects, is not something we will passively allow. Not where our land is concerned. We will aid those who prove themselves to us with strength of body and soul, but we will not tolerate crimes against us," the dragon said severely.

"We aren't here to infest the mountains! Once they finish their task, they'll be gone. I promise this to you!" Bella pleaded. Hot, steamy breath pressed against her face as the dragon snorted. He finally landed, lowering himself.

"Then I hold you to your word. If I see you enter this mountain again, once all of you leave, then I will shower death upon you," the dragon said calmly, yet managing to allow a threatening edge into his tone.

"I… I cannot accept that. I… I have other reasons for being here…" Bella stuttered. She'd come this far… only to possibly be banished?

"You CANNOT accept MY terms? Tell me, what reason do YOU have for being here? More noble than saving the world?" the dragon asked imperiously.

"No… it is rather a selfish reason to be here. I had only become entangled in their quest out of pure chance," Bella explained. The dragon waited patiently for her to state the reason for her presence. Bella lowered her head, slowly kneeling. "I… I came here to learn the ways of dragons. I am not here to enslave, insult, harm, or slaughter your kind… I just wanted to be more like you."

"A human who thinks she can become like unto a dragon?" the dragon asked, snorting again. It gave a quick flap of its wings before folding them again. Dust swirled around in a flurry until it settled again. Bella coughed. "Preposterous."

"I don't care if it is preposterous. It's my goal, and I won't be discouraged. Do you want to always despise humans, and keep them low? Or would you rather see an improvement in them? I know I can leave behind the infirmities of human kind, and become something better, at least, someone more tolerable to your noble kind…"

"I've heard enough of your sniveling and groveling. If you want to become like us, you will have to prove yourself, and kissing the dirt is not going to raise your value. You will have to take up your courage and fight," the dragon said, turning his head so that Bella was faced with one of his large, yellow eyes. "I don't mean the lowly dragons that scurry around here, that you have already pitted your wits and strength against. I mean a proper fight, against a greater dragon, and witnessed by our elders."

"You don't mean… but I can't… that's just for…": Bella stuttered, failing to finish her sentences. She felt she didn't need to. A subtle nod and change in the dragon's expression confirmed that he knew precisely what she was trying to say.

"They have produced many worthy humans, but it doesn't mean that we exclusively bond with only their kind. If they are arrogant enough to believe that we are theirs, and theirs alone to seek aid from, then they would not be worthy of our tolerance," the dragon said, lifting its head again. "When you are TRULY ready to undertake this ordeal, return here and call my name."

"And your name would be…?"

"Boaz."


	14. Chapter 14: Battle

**A/N:** Action scenes are not my forte. I apologize if you are bored out of your wits.

Chapter 14: _Battle_

"This must be the place. I think I can make out a door behind these boulders," Fayt said, staring at a large accumulation of lava rock. The others agreed in unison. Fayt dug his hand into his pocket, producing a ring. "I sure hope this works. Vanilla said that it can not disintegrate everything…"

"There you are…" Bella called. Unanimously, the cluster turned towards her, as she stepped through a narrow passage between cavern wall and a pool of magma. She wiped her brow, gratified that she had caught up with them in time. "The ring was a failure?"

"Not exactly… it should do what we need it to do… but it isn't as powerful as it could have been. We didn't give Vanilla a whole lot of time to make it," Fayt explained, holding it up. "It's good to see that you made it."

"Hm? I suppose I've given you every reason to doubt my capabilities to survive thus far," Bella responded quietly.

"Well what happened? Last I checked, that dragon was bent on burning us all to a crisp," Cliff asked.

"I got it to listen and understand the importance of your mission," Bella responded. "No time for chatting, hurry and use the ring! We're so close!" Bella insisted. Fayt nodded.

"Okay," he said, then touched the ring to the lava rock. A fizzling light appeared around it, and then, the white outline of the boulder began to dissipate unevenly, in many glowing particles. Soon, there was nothing left, not even some sort of debris.

"That was, uh, more effective than I thought it would be," Cliff remarked. Maria walked over to where the boulder used to be, kneeling down.

"There's nothing left. It completely disintegrated," she exclaimed. She stood up and turned to the rest, who were staring at the empty space.

"So much for that rule that matter cannot be created or destroyed," Fayt sighed. Bella impatiently pushed her way past everyone and Maria, putting her hands on the large doors.

"Come on!" she urged. With a grunt, she pushed the large, heavy doors open, shooting a glare at the others as a silent request for help. Fayt and Cliff began to push the heavy doors along with her, until they were open enough for everyone to walk through.

The party poured into the large, spacious hollow. Calling it a room would be an understatement. It was a massive chamber that surely made any human feel insignificant. Across the way was a raised platform, with gigantic steps leading up. Perched upon this platform was the enormous form of a Dragon. Every aspect of the creature was magnificence, except, perhaps his lack of colour. His hide had the colour of withered foliage and sand. Bella stood in reverent silence. She'd never seen a creature this large, and he was indeed much more gigantic than even she had anticipated.

"It's huge…" Fayt impressed. He obviously was just as surprised as Bella.

""Now that's just too big," Maria remarked. Maria was easily the size of one of the large talons that jutted out from his feet. Bella shot her a glance at her irreverence.

"I can see why they call him the Marquis. Impressive," Cliff added.

"I really hope he'll go along with our proposal," Nel said, a concerned expression crossing her usual neutral face. Bella turned and looked at her, about to say something, when the words, although more insulting, were whisked out of her mouth by another.

"It won't be that easy, fool," Albel sneered. He hadn't said a word since they left Airyglyph, and so hearing his voice again almost made Bella jump.

"What did you call me!?" Nel asked, in a raised voice. She turned defensively towards Albel. However, everyone's eyes quickly snapped back to the dragon. Feeling a slight tremor, so did Nel's. The slight against her forgotten, Nel turned fully to the large being, whose arm was moving slightly.

"Huh? It moved!" Fayt stated the obvious, as was his talent.

The ground and walls seemed to quiver at the movement of the gargantuan of a dragon. More life seemed to seep into the Marquis, Crosell, as he was aroused. His eyes, slowly peeled open, and should he have had eyebrows, they most definitely would be furrowed to express his displeasure.

"Who dares disturb me sleep?" came a booming, masculine voice. Bella quickly dropped to her knees where she stood.

"Woah! The dragon talks!" Cliff exclaimed. It'd been the first time he'd heard one actually speak something that sounded intelligent, unlike the strange assortment of sounds Bella seemed to understand, though he wondered if she were bluffing it. Bella glared at him, and from her kneeled position she drove her elbow into the side of his leg, causing him to stumble a little, letting out a plaintive sound.

"Of course he does! Show more respect!" Bella hissed quietly at him. Before he could make a witty retort, the dragon's rumbling voice thundered down upon them.

"…Another ill-mannered human, I see. Do you believe you are the masters of all creation? Why are you so surprised that other creatures can speak? You act as though you know everything. Ages pass, yet you humans never learn," Crosell criticized.

Nel took a few steps closer, and knelt down before him. She took it upon herself to do the talking, trying to ignore the blunder Cliff had already caused. "I'm Nel Zelpher, agent of Aquaria. We've come to request the Marquis's aid, Your Excellency."

"A Maiden of Aquaria? Speak your purpose," the Marquis responded calmly, settling himself into a guise of patience.

"Yes, Your Excellency. A great threat is menacing these lands. We need Your Excellency's help to stop it," Nel explained, keeping her head bowed. The rest of the group remained quiet, barely moving, lest they offer some offense.

"Hmph. I sensed the restlessness outside. What would you have me do?" Crosell asked.

"We'd like you to bear the runological weapon we developed, so that we can deal with this threat," Nel continued. Bella shook her head. As she had anticipated, the dragon's patience fell away, and offense took its place. The dragon let out a low roar.

"Imbeciles! You would have me bear on my own back something made by human hands!? Do not insult me, humans. I am great and ancient, and you are nothing. How could you think I would acquiesce to such a foolish request?" he growled. Bella breathed in deeply, keeping herself small, and almost hoping she'd go unnoticed for now. She watched as Nel stood up, rolled back her shoulders, and stood fearlessly before Crosell's anger.

"Even so, we cannot leave until you agree," she told the Marquis firmly.

"I could not care less," Crosell responded, settling himself. Nel was about to say more, but she was cut off by Cliff interrupting.

"Nel, forget it. Turkey's like this need to be smacked around a bit before they listen," Cliff interceded. Bella shot him another glare.

"T-turkey?" she repeated angrily.

"Now that's a first," Albel said dryly, drawing his sword. "We're both of the same opinion." Bella glanced at him as well.

"The Marquis is not a turkey!" Bella continued to protest, but was effectively ignored by everyone.

Maria stepped forward, staring up levelly at Crosell. "I agree that humans are nothing special…"

"They're not," Bella muttered quietly.

"…But I wonder if you are as good as you say you are. Perhaps you need a lesson in humility," Maria continued. Fayt looked between Cliff, Maria, and Albel, who were ready for a fight against a beast that could end them by simply sneezing.

"Your Excellency, is there no way you'll agree to cooperate?" he asked, trying to continue the diplomatic approach, much to Bella's relief.

"None," Crosell barked, his patience more than tried, but actually sinking further and further into negative integers.

"Oh well," Fayt said, drawing his sword. "I guess we'll have to force you to listen."

"You are free to try. Convince me of your worth and I shall listen to all you have to say!" Crosell said, preparing himself for a battle against the insects that crowded about his feet. Bella slowly stood up. _Convince him of our worth? I had thought this primal mindset of strength being the criteria for worth was all a myth… but dragons really are that way. Boaz, and now Crosell…_ Bella reflected. She lifted her gaze, preparing herself for the inevitable fight. She was prepared to die at the whim of the Marquis. Should she and the others succeed, she knew it would amount such intrinsic gratification that she was uncertain she could maintain any ounce of humility afterwards.

"We'll prove to you our worth, might Marquis of the Sky!" Bella called out, knowing she'd barely be heard as more than more incessant buzzing in his ears, as she imagined all of their words to be to him.

"We'll hold you to your word, Your Excellency," Maria said firmly, gripping her gun.

"It is a promise I shall not have to keep!" retorted Crosell as he spread his wings. Bella watched this, and began to dash madly behind a boulder. She wasn't the only one able to anticipate what was coming, as Albel, despite all of his pomp, had rushed to the cover of a boulder. Crosell created a strong vortex of wind, encased by the cavern walls, and forced to twist around in an invisible vortex. The sheer force and pressure his wings blew caused Fayt, Maria, and Nel to be thrown against the walls, and pushed back Cliff who was sturdy enough to keep on his feet.

Crosell set his feet down, folding his wings back. Seeing his opportunity, Albel rushed from his cover and charged at Crosell. With a mighty leap, strengthened by his momentum, Albel managed to strike the side of Crosell's knee, curving his sword in a way that it continued to cut along until it reached the inside of the dragon's knee. Before Albel could make a graceful landing, he was kicked away by the mighty dragon, landing on his gauntlet arm with a clank. By this point Fayt and Nel were picking themselves up after an unpleasant encounter with the rocky wall, and getting their bearings. Bella sprung out from her cover, glowing symbols wrapping around her gauntlets. With a flash, long talon-like tendrils of lightening shot out from her claws, extending her reach and empowering her quick succession of swings. Bella aimed for roughly the same spot Albel had attacked. Unlike Albel, however, she latched onto his leg, making it difficult for Crosell to kick her off.

"Pesky rodent!" Crosell taunted while trying to shake her off. Bella held on as firm as she could, but eventually was slung off. Bella managed to roll her feet beneath her, mid air, and with her knees bent, landed in a crouched position, one hand down to held evenly distribute the impact. By then, Fayt and Nel were advancing, and Maria was finally on her feet.

Learning from her first lesson, Maria took cover behind a large boulder, and began firing at Crosell from behind it. Nel wove about his legs, delivering cobra-fast strikes to his tough hide. It didn't seem to be doing the large dragon much harm, but perseverance could go a long way. Albel, whom was also fairly agile, also took to a weaving pattern, but his slashes were more forceful. Cliff took to trying to climb Crosell to find a more vulnerable spot to strike at, and Fayt kept himself from being stomped on, while hacking at Crosell's feet every safe opportunity he could get.

Bella slowly rose to her feet. It was chaotic. With the smallest amount of effort, Crosell could make them a red, pulpy mess on the rocky floor. Nonetheless, they had to fight with everything they had to prove themselves. With determination, Bella charged amidst the battle once more. As she was running, she nearly got hit by Cliff' whom had been thrown from Crosell. Bella ducked, and swerved, coming to a stop. Amidst a shattered boulder, Cliff was slowly getting back to his feet. She rushed over to him.

"Cliff, how about giving me a boost? I think I spotted a vulnerable area on the inside of his thigh!" Bella said hastily. He dusted some debris off of himself, and gave her a quizzical look.

"Duh? Oh, uh, right… if you say so…" Cliff responded slowly. Bella shook her head, sighing impatiently. She began to run back into the field. Nel, having sustained injury to one of her legs, had drawn back, and was casting runology from a distance. That left only Albel and Fayt in the thick of the fight, and increasing their chances of being taken out by the large dragon.

Growing weary of those who were firing from a distance, Crosell towered over Maria, craning his neck to stare straight down at her. She fired up at his expanding chest, but it didn't phase him at all. A sign of smoke drifted from his flared nostrils, moments before he unleashed a frightful stream of fire down upon Maria. Her boulder wasn't offering her any protection now.

"Watch out!" rang out Fayt's voice, almost swallowed up by the sound of roaring fire. With a mad dash he dropped his sword, and pushed Maria out of the core of the blast, causing both of them only to be exposed to the outer licks of flame, leaving them both singed. Bella observed this as she rushed, with Cliff, towards Crosell. Bella wondered how long they could keep this up? She could tell that Crosell was holding back.

"Alright, here goes nothing!" Cliff said once they had reached the base of Crosell's foot. Both of them scurried between Crosell's legs. The Marquis was preparing another large breath of fire. Cliffheld his hands together, low enough for Bella to step onto it. Once her foot was firmly planted, Cliff threw up his arms, springing her up high with his Klausian strength. Bella gripped her claws tight, driving them into the inside of Crosell's leg. This caused him to pause, and rock unsteadily. Bella was losing her grip, as the scales on the inside were a lot smoother, and there weren't as many large plates she could latch onto. Blood streaks grew along Crosell's leg as gravity tugged on Bella, whom had her gauntlets dug well into the Dragon. Not wasting this opportunity, Albel jumped, slicing the very same leg along the inside as he did so. Vaulting off of the leg, Albel landed gracefully a fair distance away, as Crosell fell to one knee. This caused Bella to fall off his leg, and she could not withhold the undignified yelp that erupted from her mouth. Expecting to feel an even more jarring impact with the ground than from her earlier mishaps, she was pleasantly surprised when her landed was fairly soft. She peeked an eye open, seeing Cliff's dark eyes staring down at her.

"Gotcha," he said with a smile. He set her down quickly, stepping back. "Think we beat him?"

"Hardly," Bella responded, looking at the Marquis as he slowly struggled to get his cut-up leg beneath him. He lifted himself high and glowered down at the assembled combatants.

"Not bad for mere humans. And an even better challenge than that man who subdued Tempest. This shall be the first time in ages I have had to really earn my name!" he spoke. Before anyone really had much time to digest this comment, he struck at them with a blast of pressurized smoke, much like steam. Without a nearby rock or pillar to hide behind, Bella hid behind the next best thing: Cliff.

"Well that's just great… I save you, and then you use me as a meat shield!" Cliff complained once he recovered from the blast. Bella gave a slight shrug, and then pointed past Cliff. He turned and looked, seeing shards of ice flying through the air. He quickly got himself out of the way, while Bella dashed in the opposite direction.

Chaos and pandemonium ensued. Gigantic feet came slamming down, loose rocks fell from the cavernous ceiling, wings blew people about like autumn leaves, and scorching streams of fire razed the area. Bella beheld the horrifying results of challenging the Marquis; and she couldn't be more satisfied. Although she knew she was next, she could not help but smile with admiration for Crosell as they began to drop. First Maria collapsed, then Fayt tried to help her only to get knocked out, then Nel fell. Albel was struggling to stay on his feet, and Cliff was limping for cover to regain his breath. Bella herself was exhausted as she sent volleys of magic from her cover.

"Have you had enough yet, miniscule humans?" boomed out Crosell's voice.

"No… we're not done… with you… yet," came Albel's strained, yet spirited, response. She unleashed a fury of steel upon Crosell to back up his words. Cliff took a drink from a flask, which lent him a second wind, and he rushed back into the fray along with Albel. Bella eyed some fallen pillars, one in particular that leaned against one neighboring it. Quickly, she ran towards it. While Crosell was busy trying to stomp on Cliff and Albel, Bella climbed up with slanted pillar. She waited, crouched, trying to ignore how far of a drop laid before her. Finally, Crosell's head came close enough. Bella hesitated a moment. If she missed, she'd most likely hit the ground. However, Crosell was big. No, he was enormous. Missing him would actually take some effort. With this in mind, she leapt onto his back, landing between his wings. Due to his thick hide, he did not even notice her presence there. Bella raised up her claws. She wasn't sure she could even scratch his thick hide. Nonetheless, runes danced along her arms, and she drove the claws into the base of his neck. Feeling them go in partially, she unleashed lightening along the metal blades on her claws, and into Crosell. This had satisfying results, as he teetered forward, roaring in pain. It wasn't enough to knock him out, but it caused him to drop to his knees, momentarily stunned. That was all Albel and Cliff needed. The men below savagely attacked Crosell's belly. Bella tugged to get her gauntlets out of Crosell. No matter how much she pulled, she could not remove her claws from the back of Crosell. With a loud grunt, and a 'chink' sound, Bella went flying backwards, tumbling down Crosell's back, and eventually rolling off of his hip. If not for him already lowered, the fall would have been more devastating. As it was, Bella landed on her stomach, and had the wind painfully knocked out of her.

Crosell heaved mightily. Bella slowly tried to pick herself up off the ground, but her arms shuddered and buckled, causing her to fall back on her belly. She glanced over, seeing Maria stirring. She watched as Maria gripped her gun and got into a crouched position. She pointed the gun at Crosell, but did not fire. Bella watched as it dawned on her that the fight was over. All that was left was for Crosell to admit it.

"Arrrr…" Crosell growled laboriously. "To live seven hundred years, only to suffer at the hands of mere humans," Crosell said resentfully. Maria stood up, and walked over to Fayt. She knelt down and administered a strong smelling vial to bring him to. He lifted his head, looking about drearily. Nel limped over to the rest while Crosell hung his head in shame. Maria looked over to him from where she was helping Fayt stand.

"You'll keep your word, right?" she asked, in an almost taunting tone. Crosell gave a gruff grunt.

"Though it is humiliating to serve your kind, breaking one's word is a despicable act," Crosell said in a rumbling, strained voice. His voice lowered to a tone of submissiveness. "I have no choice."

"All right then," Nel said, leaning heavily on a rock for support. Her entire, battered body expressed relief.

Crosell shook his head and rose to his full height again. He surveyed the humans below. After rotating, or otherwise moving, a few stiff limbs, he lowered himself again, invitingly. "You may ride on my back, small but powerful humans. I shall bear you wherever you desire."

With the support of each other, the group all climbed up onto Crosell's large back. Bella forced herself to her feet. She was not going to miss this opportunity. She never imagined she would ride the Marquis. Cliff stooped over from his position, offering her a hand. She took it, and he helped to heft her up. Bella crawled over his lap to find herself a place to sit. Fayt leaned forward, sitting in the very front.

"Umm… what should we call you?" he asked.

"Call me Crosell, little one," Crosell responded. Fayt nodded.

"Well then, Crosell, would you start by heading towards Castle Aquaria to the east?" he requested.

"As you wish," Crosell conceded. A less than majestic grunt erupted from his large throat as he got himself ready to depart. He spread his titanic wings to an impressive wing span. Bella felt light headed. She wasn't sure if it was the exhaustion, or the surreal feeling of a dream come true. She leaned back until something, or someone obstructed her path. She tilted her head back, staring up into a red glare.

"Get off," Albel ordered irritably. Bella just closed her eyes and smiled.

"I don't… have… the energy…. Everything is so nice… just relax…" Bella said in an uncharacteristically airy tone. She felt reality and her dreams bleed into one another as the ground gave way beneath all of them. Lights and colours danced secretly behind her eyelids, and she felt more relaxed than she ever had before. Even being forcefully shoved forward didn't break her from her euphoria.

**A/N: **I've decided to add notes to the beginning AND end of chapters! Okay, so maybe I am a copy-cat. At any rate, I imagine that this story MAY reach completion. By completing, I mean having an end, not by being precisely how I like it, and all inconsistencies sorted out. Think of this as a rough draft. And hey, while you're here, why not leave me some feedback? It'd be appreciated. Yeah, I know, I'm whiny and persistent. Seriously, though. All I want for Christmas is a review!


	15. Chapter 15: Turbulence

**A/N:** Wow, 15 chapters. And it's a new Year. Happy New Year people. Even if you end up reading this message in the middle of June, Happy New Year all the same. With the holidays out of the way, I shall return to updating much more frequently.

Chapter 15: Turbulence

There was a buzz of restlessness vibrating through the entire castle of Aquaria. Preparations were being made to counter the impending Vendeeni attack. Amidst all this, Bella sat on the banister of the balcony, her legs dangling over the edge. She'd never been in the castle before, not even the large chapel. She didn't imagine she'd ever be sitting so calmly on the balcony. She watched as some runologist researchers eyeballed Crosell, and worked on making an appropriate harness for him to carry their weapon. Soon, on his back would man-made a weapon. She wondered why they didn't just ask Crosell to scorch these Vendeeni? However, she feared the answer was obvious, and wasn't going to risk looking foolish by asking. She still weren't even sure what the Vendeeni LOOKED like. And so she just sat tight and swung her legs before a two-story drop.

"Bella…" she heard her name, and turned her head. Standing there was Fayt. "You sure you should be doing that?"

"Are you sure you should be here fretting over where I am sitting rather than helping to prepare?" Bella countered. Nonetheless, she swiveled around and hopped off of the railing onto the sturdy balcony. Fayt walked over beside her, resting his elbows against the banister.

"There isn't much more I can do. We just have to wait for them to get that weapon loaded," Fayt responded. Bella leaned her back against the banister, turning her head to look at him. She could sense his apprehension. He never was very good at hiding his emotions, she found. All of the others who he traveled with left Bella guessing, but not this azure-haired boy. Or would man be a better term? He was obviously younger than she was.

"Well, then, should you not be with your comrades? Or is the joint tension too much for you?" Bella asked. He slowly craned his neck, staring at her. She cocked her head to the side; a certain nuance of hers.

"Yeah, I guess so," he said after pausing. He drummed his fingers idly on the banister. "I'm surprised you are up here, after almost falling off of Crosell. I'd be keeping myself firmly on the ground after something like that… if I were someone not used to flying," Fayt added.

"And you are used to flying?" Bella asked somewhat defensively. She shook her head, cutting him off before he could answer. "I was shoved. As long as no one pushes me off of this balcony, I'm confident that I won't be breaking my neck any time soon."

"…" Fayt went silent.

"There you are!" came a voice with a full-bodied timber of confidence. Bella and Fayt both looked to see Cliff walking over to them. "I've been looking all over for ya! Now isn't the time to be flirting with the locals."

"But I'm not-" Fayt began to protest, but then shook his head and interrupted his own sentence. "Not this again. What do you want?"

"Maria, Mirage, and myself would like to discuss a few thing with you. That's all," Cliff responded nonchalantly. Fayt shook his head and sighed. After a moment of silence, he gave Bella a side glance, and then nodded to Cliff.

"Yeah, okay. I'm coming," Fayt responded. He pulled himself away from the balcony railing and followed Cliff into the castle. Bella watched them go.

Bella reflected on how the short time travelling with them, she'd broken a small promise to herself and had gotten quite attached. It wasn't their personalities, or that they saved her hide from the grotesque, restless corpse of a dragon, but that they were a break from a pattern she had found long ago. All of them were set apart from the weak, pathetic humans she was unfortunately clumped with. She was strangely disappointed to know that they were leaving once this threat was dealt with. She glanced over as the Thunder Arrow was being fitting onto Crosell with a system of pulleys and other mechanisms. At least she'd still have the dragons.

The dragons!

"Boaz…" Bella muttered. Could she really prove herself equal among the dragons? She'd spent a long time training herself for survival, and preparing her mind and body to ascend past the human, and female, shackles that had long bonded her. Now that she was being put to the test, it almost seemed as if all those years amounted to nothing. Would the years ahead of her lead her to a fate of mediocrity as well? _If only I could start over from the beginning… if only I could have prepared myself at a younger age…_ Bella muttered to herself. _If only I could consume their strength and make it my own… I could do it…_and amidst her regret a thought struck her. It struck her, and at first, was somehow repelling. However, as she weighed out this idea in her mind, and nibbled at its edges, she could see the merit in it. It was almost mercenary, but she had to admit that she had become the selfish, manipulative sort of human she hated. If she couldn't change herself, she could influence another. Someone younger, malleable, and who would put unconditional trust in her. The matter of achieving this protégé, however, would have to be done very carefully.

Her plotting was interrupted by footsteps. She glanced up and saw Nel standing on the balcony, her arms crossed over her bosom. Bella gave her a nod, and Nel returned it silently. Her eyes were to the sky, and she seemed to be waiting for something. Bella also turned and glanced up at the clouds. However, she saw nothing. She turned and looked back at Nel.

"We will be meeting in the White Dew gardens below," Nel said. Bella continued to stare at her blankly. Nel dipped her chin, her clever green eyes peering out at Bella. She spoke with some reluctance. "You helped us in getting Crosell's cooperation. For that, I extend my appreciation, on behalf of everyone. This may not be your fight, but perhaps your help will be useful once more."

"I see…" Bella said quietly. "You want me to ride with you on Crosell in this upcoming battle?"

"Not necessarily 'want' you to come. Either way, make up your mind soon. I'm going to gather everyone else and inform them where to gather," Nel said, turning coldly and walking back into the castle. Bella idly curled her long bangs about her finger, thinking on the odd interaction. She felt out of place in this fight, and definitely uninformed. However, she was curious about this runological weapon, and flying on Crosell again was something to look forward to regardless of the situation. She glanced down at the garden below. Sure enough she already saw Maria, Cliff, Fayt, and a woman whom she had been briefly introduced to. Perhaps introduce wasn't quite the word. More or less the woman was pointed out to her, and a name given: Mirage Koas.

It was a split-second decision. Bella hurdled over the railing, her body falling down from the lofty balcony, a dark figure against the white castle walls. She was sure someone may have yelled in exclamation, but the air rushing past her ears muffled out every other sound. She threw her weight to the side, causing her to close a short distance between her and a tree. With quick, nimble movements, she grabbed onto some branches. It bent with her weight, and added force from velocity. Her hands quickly gathered another sturdy branch. She released the second branch and swung herself to the large fork in the tree, where the stump divided into two main shoots. She sat crouched within the sturdiest part of the tree, and then hopped down. Such reckless acts were a part of her personal training while she was in the wild. She had to prepare herself for various circumstances. Before she could go aboard that weapon, upon the majestic shoulders of Crosell again, she needed to know she still had it in her.

"What was all that about?" Cliff asked, staying back while Fayt rushed over to see if she was alright. Bella remained crouched. After the fight with Crosell, there were still sore muscles, bruises, and jarred joints. The runologist doctors did their best, but if they were capable of restring a person to perfect condition after a moment like that, then warfare, she was sure, would be more cruel. There would probably also be a population issue.

"I'm still confident that I won't be breaking my neck anytime soon," Bella said before the words 'are you alright' managed to jump out of Fayts mouth. Cliff shook his head.

"Now's not the time for theatrics," Cliff said dismissively to Bella. Bella slowly, and shakily, rose to her feet. "Anyway, the weapon's on, we're ready to go, once we get the signal."

"The signal?" Bella asked, trying to hide the stiffness in her legs as she walked over. As she went closer to the group, she saw Nel arrive, with Albel following. The entire group of people, those who were the exception, were together, perhaps, for the last time. She was sure Nel would resume her duties to Aquaria, and Albel, no doubt, would return to Kirlsa and resume leadership of the Black Brigade. The others, would be gone, to some place beyond the heavens.

There was a strange, high-pitched sound that came in short increments. Bella glanced over to Maria, who put her hand to her ear. She heard a vague voice coming from Maria, or perhaps something on her. It definitely wasn't Maria. However, the next sentence to be spoken was undoubtedly Maria.

"All right. Keep in mind that there may be a Vendeeni ship lurking nearby. Put us into low orbit," Maria instructed the disembodied voice. Maria never did explain how her weapon, the gun, worked. Now there was another intriguing artifact or device being implemented she didn't understand. The other voice continued to speak with Maria. It was definitely female. Bella edged closer to try and hear it more clearly. "Our enemy will have the same problem. Stay on your guard," Maria continued.

Cliff stepped over to Bella, nudging her. "THAT would be the signal," he told her, pointing upwards. From behind the clouds, large bastions flew into view. Bella watched with fascination, until her arm was tugged on. "Hey, if you're coming, let's go!" Cliff continued. She nodded, realizing everyone around her were running to the Thunder Arrow upon Crosell. Bella dashed alongside them to get on board.

Maria was the last to board. Bella watched from her high vantage point as Maria continued to talk with the voice in her ear before getting on. Bella frowned, looking up at the skies again. Crosell wasn't doing this alone. Several air dragons had already taken to the skies. She had almost opted to ride within the weapon with Nel, who was at the controls. However, she decided that she preferred to be out in the air. Surely she would have a chance to look within the weapon afterwards. Even if she did not, it was no loss.

_So the end has begun_. _Either they fail and we all die, or they succeed, and I am left again in the presence of sub par company. No matter what happens, it is an end of some sort. Cliff, Fayt, and Maria… why aren't there more people on their level? Albel and Nel, each an exception among their separate kingdoms. Neither kingdom holds a place for me. At least, not until I…_

Bella was torn from her thoughts by turbulence. They were getting close to the battleship now. Bella saw as the fire of the lesser air dragons were deflected by a strange translucent shield. It had the appearance of an iridescent honeycomb when fired upon, only for the forcefield to go invisible again. As Bella puzzled over what force could be so strong as to be dragon-proof, she heard Maria give Nel the command to fire. Bella quickly grabbed a hold of something as Crosell rocked with the recoil. She watched the steady beam of symbological force streak towards the ship, and watched as it, too, was absorbed.

"Don't give up! Keep firing!" Maria urged after a silence of disappointment had fallen upon them. Bella continued to watch this flying vessel, and all of the glowing lights that contrasted against its dark, ominous form. Again she felt the surge of power beneath her and another steady stream shot out, just as Crosell swayed to one side to avoid an oncoming projectile. There was so much happening in the air; Bella found it hard to focus on any one thing for too long. Whilst she knew everyone else was on the edge of their seat, watching for an indication of victory or destruction, she herself knew that watching it any more closely would not change the outcome. She wasn't the one steering or firing, and so she was just a spectator, or a spare hand should something go wrong. However, even as her attention was divided, she could feel the anxiety of those around her. She could hear it too.

"Arg! Come on and blow up already!" came Cliff's voice. It wasn't often she'd heard such urgency in his voice. She'd observed impatience, such as when his clothes were drying, but never this timber of urgency.

"Don't worry, it must be working! Just keep it up!" came Fayt's words of encouragement. Bella shook her head. It wasn't that she minded optimism, it was just groundless optimism that left her unimpressed. The sound of an explosion nearby caught her off guard, and for a moment, perhaps she wondered if groundless optimism wasn't appropriate up here, high in the sky. "What was that? That was the…"

"No it wasn't the Diplo. I think they pulled it off," Maria interrupted.

"…What is the Diplo?" Bella asked, but she was promptly ignored by Fayt in his enthusiasm.

"Yes! We got a chance now!" He leaned forward, his eyes keen on seeing the improvement on the situation. Bella sighed and leaned back against a less than comfortable metal bar. She drummed her fingers on her thigh until she heard Crosell's imperious voice.

"They're retreating!" he proclaimed. Bella sat up and looked forward.

"Of course they're retreating… they've made an enemy of you!" Bella said to Crosell. She was promptly ignored, although she heard, what she liked to think, was a satisfied rumble coming from deep within his cavernous lungs. It wasn't angry or loud enough to be a growl of frustration… and wasn't borborygmia. Cliff, whom heard her, just shook his head at her. He'd made it plain time and time again that he didn't believe a dragon could stand a chance against a battle ship. Bella, however, stood firm in her belief of a dragon's superiority over any man-crafted vessel, even in the face of ridicule - and Cliff's face could be quite ridiculous at times.

The chase was on. Crosell chased after the Vendeeni ship, as that ship chased after a much smaller ship. Bella could only assume it was this 'Diplo' they were talking about. It was obvious to her that they had every intention of helping it. There was no doubt in her mind now that things were going to be in their favor, and she could return, alive, to the bountiful land below. Even when Cliff remarked how bad the situation had become, she sat with her hands calmly resting on her stomach, and rolled her head back with a relaxed grin.

"Crosell hurry!" Fayt urged.

"I am hurrying!" Crosell snapped as he beat the air with his mighty wings as hard as he could, his head extended forward to slice the air around his large form.

"Diplo!" Maria cried, her hands gripping tight. Bella peeked one languid eye open from the most comfortable niche she could find. The small ship, try as it might, was not having much progress in outrunning the larger bastion. Bella shifted to try and get a little more comfortable. She actually was hoping this 'Diplo' would be destroyed, as she gathered it was what would transport Fayt, Cliff, and Maria away from their world. She'd prefer that they were marooned so that she could study them further, and revel in their power. She was about to close her eyes again with that irritating expression of contentedness, but a brilliant beam caught her attention. She sat up abruptly glancing over at the Vendeeni ship, as a spear of light from an unknown source shot through it. She watched in amazement as the monster of a ship fell away from existence, leaving not a single trace of itself behind. Bella got to her feet, trembling. _What was that? Is there yet an even more powerful enemy to rain upon us?_

The rest of the crew were equally as confused as she was. Although the enemy they were fighting against was destroyed, she could feel the rise of tension, and even fear. Only one person seemed to lack fear, and was instead staring at the destruction with admiration; and for once, it wasn't her.

She heard Maria getting in contact with that distant person, the sound of a woman's voice ringing faintly. Fayt and Cliff gathered, listening carefully, and the bewilderment continued as they discussed terms and words she did not understand. What she did understand was shock, disbelief, and fear. These were apparent in their tones. If they spoke a completely alien language she would know whatever this ray of light was, it was not divine intervention of some benevolent deity. Words like 'Magnitude', 'Creation Cannon,' 'Aldian' and 'Earth' were thrown about in their nervous chatter. Bella sat back down. There was nothing that could be done while up in the air, and she grew steadily more impatient with the three. She could sense she wasn't the only one as she glanced over at Albel, and could only assume Nel, within the weapon, felt the same.

Finally she heard her own thoughts said out loud by Fayt. "Let's get back to the castle. We're wasting time here."

**A/N: **Well, this was a fairly passive chapter, as most of it was filled with stuff already from the game. Yes, yes, boring - why read a fan-fiction if everything is the same as the game… other than a few minor comments and reflections here or there? Don't worry, from this point onward is where I plan to deviate from the original plot somewhat. In fact, this entire story is just building up towards another story set after the game. That is if I don't come to my senses before then and get back to work on some of my original fiction.


	16. Chapter 16: Ambitions

**A/N**: FINALLY things are going in their own direction again. So is Bella getting on your nerves yet? She's not supposed to be particularly likeable - because too many people try to make a character that will be universally liked, and that just isn't bloody possible. Oh hey, and some Crosell-ness in this chapter. Even if it is brief. He needs a bit of air time, after all! He was Bella's bloody goal to begin with! YES I LIKE THE WORD BLOODY! I also drank a LOOOOT of Dr Pepper previous to writing this.

Chapter 16: Ambitions

YAWWWWN! Perhaps such loud and irreverent pulmonary functions weren't appropriate after fighting a battle that could have meant the salvation of a few countries, maybe even and entire planet, but Bella had the need to get it off her chest. She stood beside Crosell as the rest of the crew stiffly climbed down, jostled, tired, and mentally drained from the amount that had happened in that moment in the air. Experiencing the drain of adrenaline, they each headed back into the castle to report the happenings, and to fully digest the terrifying news of a new power. Bella watched them, patting the side of Crosell's lower leg.

"Remove this weapon of man from me immediately so that I may return!" Crosell roared at the runologists standing by. The ordeal had even effected the great Marquis of the Air dragons, and attributed to making his poor temper even worse. Crosell craned his neck to look down at Bella as the runologists hurriedly began to undo the harness. "I have served my debt to you humans! I have no more obligation to condescend myself to your bidding."

"I mean not to patronize you, m'lord. Wouldn't you rather rest a while before flying back to the Lava Caves?" Bella tempted. She'd be sad to see him go. She could easily get back to the lava caves in due time, having kept the flute. Nonetheless, she still was feeling somewhat dismal to the idea of watching him fly off, especially in such a temper towards her.

"Nonsense. I shan't get rest until I am retired to my domain," Crosell growled as chains and metal dropped away from him.

"I can fetch some therapeutic oils to moisten your scales and relax your joints, if you want," Bella suggested. He stared at her in silence for a moment, the only sound being the heaving of the Aquarians as they removed the weapon, and began to take it back to the weapon department for storage. Crosell lifted his mighty head.

"I have gone many centuries without the need of luxuries you humans depend upon!" Crosell said in a slow, rumbling voice. He raised himself to his full height, squinting down at Bella.

"Your highness misunderstands me. I understand you needn't the gentle pampering most of my people fervently seek, but, nonetheless, wished only to offer some relief after the needless ordeal we humans put you through," Bella responded carefully. She bowed her head, but felt she was getting nowhere. He was much more stubborn and belligerent than she had imagined. Crosell lifted his head, stretching out his impressive wing span.

"I seek no compensation any human could offer, other than to be left alone by your kind for a time longer," Crosell responded. Bella shook her head and rose to her feet.

"If that is your desire, most venerable Crosell, then I shall not keep you any longer," Bella responded. There was nothing left for either of them to say to the other. Crosell launched away from the ground, and caught the updraft of the wind. Bella sighed and finally head back into the castle. What was she to do now? She'd met the Marquis as she had planned, although the results were less than profitable. She was now in Aquaria, a place she hadn't been to in a long time, and had made her face more known than she would have liked to the nobility.

Bella wandered the castle aimlessly. She felt all that had happened had left her with no direction. Perhaps most people would draw a sense of purpose after being a part of such a pivotal event, but she felt as though it left her hanging. She considered going back to the wild and continuing to train. She also considered heading to the Sanmite Republic and picking up a few new languages. Bella knew for sure that she should head to Airyglyph to check on Lias' progress and retrieve her improved claws. As Bella turned these thoughts over in her head, she heard a familiar voice coming from down the corridor.

"The excitement is over, and the danger is past. There's nothing more for me to do here, so I might as well be on my way," came that crisp voice, which rushed over the words fluidly, yet coldly. Bella put her back against the wall, and slowly moved along it until she could peek past the corner.

"I understand, but we will be leaving when everything is right and settled. Why not wait and travel home with us?" came a much more elderly voice, which was vaguely familiar. It bothered Bella, as she could not place a face or name to it.

"I don't need an old man like you slowing me down. Besides, I don't need an entourage to assure my safety - I travel better alone," Albel responded. His back was to her, obscuring the view of the elderly man with whom he spoke. Bella could easily draw the conclusion that he must be speaking with Lord Woltar. Her mother was always very fond of Lord Woltar. Bella had no opinion of her own.

"It will be a long, tiring walk on foot," the older man cautioned. Albel shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head, causing his bound braids to sway with the movement.

"Bah," was his immediate response. There was a pause of silence, and Albel perched his good hand on his slender waist.

"I suppose it isn't much of a trek for someone as young and able as you… if you feel you must leave immediately, then do so," the man finally said with a sigh. "The King will be disappointed."

"I'm going now," Albel said impatiently, as he turned around and walked down the hallway. Bella quickly shuffled away from the corner and scuttled further down the corridor. She knew she couldn't make it to the stairwell or another room in time, so instead she rolled back her shoulders and gave as nonchalant a walk as she could for when Albel rounded the corner. He'd most likely just ignore her and brush past her at any rate. Still, she didn't want to give him any reason to believe she was eavesdropping; that always led to awkwardness and accusations.

Bella was mostly right about being brushed past. Except for the matter of the word 'brush' implying gentleness. Instead, she was quite rudely shoved aside as he walked past. Bella caught herself, and swiveled on her heel to face him.

"For someone with your rank you certainly lack any manners!" Bella let slip before she could catch herself. Albel only paused momentarily with his back to her, not turning around.

"I don't need to simper for acceptance to secure my place, like some trained dog," he responded. Bella turned her head to the side. She actually didn't care much about actual etiquette or manners, but certainly isn't one to enjoy being pushed around. However, she also knew it would do no good to cause a fight in the castle.

"Well, how about some common courtesy then…" Bella said, lowering her tone. He just shook his head and continued walking away. Bella sighed, and crossed her arms over her chest, watching him turn into the stairwell. She stood there for a moment. It wasn't like her to have such a short temper… but Bella justified her actions of late having to do with the unpredictable ways in which her life had turned. Releasing her irritation with a sigh, she let her arms hang at her sides and her posture sag.

"The boy is best taken with a grain of salt," came the slow-paced voice of the elderly man. Although his voice was gentle and eased its way into existence, it didn't startle Bella any less. For an old man, he was quiet.

"Yarg!" she cried in exclamation. Whipping around, she saw his calm demeanor, and his level gaze peering out from a pronounced brow. Now it wasn't just the voice, but also something in his appearance that seemed familiar. Her mother was fond of Lord Woltar, like many other civilians of Kirlsa, but she herself had never seen the man. So why did he seem familiar? Perhaps he just resembled someone else of a past acquaintance. "Lord Woltar, I presume?"

"Yes, you presume correctly," he said with a cordial nod of the head. Bella gave a respectful bow of her head. If everything her mother, and many others, said were true, then he deserved her respect. Otherwise, she paid no respect to anyone just because they had a title or an abundance of wealth. Woltar's stare seemed to unnerve her. It wasn't exactly an appraising or judgmental stare, nor was it a glare or have any contempt towards her. And yet, something unsettled her.

"Is there something the matter?" Bella finally asked.

"I am merely surprised by the amount of escapees from the Airyglyph dungeons that have come to save us all… it's somewhat… curious," Woltar said. Bella bit her lip, and took a sharp step back. Her hands gripped a fist, causing the claws on the gauntlet to poke out more menacingly. Woltar shook his head. "Do not be alarmed. I know not how you came to travel with the others, but it is evident that apprehending you right now would be a tasteless act of ingratitude."

"Ah…" Bella relaxed slightly, "I did not know my lowly face would be known to any but the prison guards." Bella maintained her distance from Woltar, but her mind was beginning to wonder if she hadn't seen him while in the dungeons.

"I may be getting on in age, but my memory is still fairly sharp. You and the boy, Albel that is, crossed paths in that dungeon. One would think after his contribution to spoiling your first escape attempt would result in a lack of cooperation…" Woltar said calmly. Bella frowned. She squinted at his face. Did he appear once in the dungeons? She tried to imagine his face in dimmer ambience.

"…I… I'm not so petty as to hold grudges. Besides, I only meant to cooperate long enough to get an… er… audience is the word I suppose I could use…. an audience with Crosell. I always put aside differences if they get in my way," Bella responded slowly.

"Ho ho ho! I suppose your meeting with Crosell did not help you come any closer to your goal of being more like a dragon? I imagine you'd have a more accomplished demeanor if it had," he responded. Bella opened her mouth, then closed it. She was completely abashed. He had to be the one…

"You're the one who set me to work with the tamed Air Dragons!" Bella finally said. The man dipped his head, which only added to the stooped appearance of his aged frame.

"Perhaps I had some hand in that…" he said mysteriously. "I imagine my presence is needed elsewhere. I will be needing to explain to the King why Albel will not be journeying home with us. Good day to you, Lady Lecross," he said. With another polite nod, he slowly made his way past her, his loose garments and cape drifting hypnotically with his leisurely, yet purposeful, gait. Bella stood in astonishment. Something about his mannerisms almost made her feel, although he claimed surprise, that he expected for her to encounter the group that was sent to acquire Crosell's services. Bella dipped her head. _He sure is a clever one. I wonder if he doesn't compensate for the infirmities being old causes him by stringing people along like puppets?_ With that thought in mind, Bella had a new, heightened respect for the man. There was nothing vicious about his methods. Bella smiled. She was reminded of a promise, and the manipulation and cunning that might be required to accomplish it. Bella raced off down the stairs and out of the castle. She was going to return to Airyglyph immediately.

While hurrying through the castle, refraining from running out of respect, she saw Fayt heading towards the audience room. She waved can called to him, "Tell everyone I say goodbye; I have to get back to Airyglyph now!" She didn't wait to hear if he heard or understood her, and was out the castle doors.

As Bella raced through the gates of Aquios, she slowed down to a walk seeing Albel up ahead. Bella was prepared to acknowledge the possibility that she was crazy, if only just a little. She trotted up a sword's length beside Albel, matching his pace. He didn't even glance over at her. After a moent of walking in silence, he finally stopped.

"What do you want?" he finally asked, staring straight ahead. Bella shrugged her shoulders, continuing to walk.

"Safety in numbers. I'm headed for Kirlsa," Bella responded. She finally paused, a few paces ahead of him. "That is where you are headed, isn't it?"

"What if I am? I don't need to cooperate with you anymore - and I make no promises that your journey will be safer with me, if not more… perilous," Albel responded and began walking. To make his point, he let his hand rest on the hilt of his blade as he did so. Bella resumed walking.

"You've made more death threats against me than anyone else on the mission, at least, that I have seen. I'm flattered by the exclusive attention you pay me," Bella responded with an arched eyebrow.

"No one has gone out of their way to provoke me as much as you," Albel responded in a strangely neutral tone. He shook his head, letting on a smile. This was not a friendly smile. Nor was it one of light humour. However, whatever amused him, he kept to himself.

"I may have said a few things that left you less than pleased, but I don't regret risking your wrath. I seldom retract anything I say," Bella responded. All she got as a response was a 'hmph' from Albel. She paused before continuing. "I call things as I see it, and I like to investigate matters as they come to my attention. I wouldn't bother if you weren't exceptional."

"If you are trying to get on my good side for whatever reasons, don't bother. I have no use for two-faced weaklings who fawn on the strong rather than to raise the effort of becoming strong themselves," Albel responded in a severe tone. Bella was not at all discouraged and continued to amble beside him.

"I'm not fawning. I am just being honest. You keep yourself out of the dances and loops societies make most people run, and still come out in control. The rank of Captain without the worrisome inter-military politics must be a comfortable perch for you," Bella continued. Yes, since getting captured she'd felt herself opening up… but wondered just how long before the petals of this bloom would wither and fall off, leaving her naked and vulnerable. It concerned her slightly, but such concerns were pushed to the back of her mind.

"…What do you really want?" Albel finally asked.

"Hm? Ah, yes, I'm still not skilled at subterfuge I see. It isn't necessary in the wild, so I neglect the practice of it," Bella responded. She folded her arms. _Hm, I already blew my cover. Oh well._ Albel waited a moment, waiting for her to respond, his eyes on her as they walked. Bella glanced at him. "…I suppose avoiding the question wouldn't be an easy maneuver as far as you're concerned, would it?"

"No," came Albel's short response. "But I don't actually care what you want."

"It's simple. I have you in my crosshairs," Bella responded with a shrug, using as nonchalant as a voice as she could muster.

"What?" It pleased Bella somewhat to see him lose his cool, if only a little. She could tell he was trying to discern whether she was attempting at some empty threat, or if she was playing some foolery. The look of resentment followed as he dipped his head slightly.

"I wasn't flattering you when I said you were exceptional. Normal humans bore me. You don't. Need I say more? So, I'm afraid unless you back up your threats, you aren't going to be rid of me," Bella responded, allowing a slight hint of cockiness to slip into her voice. There was definitely smugness in her smile. Albel fell silent. This silence remained for a long time, and it became apparent that he was determined to not give her anything further to respond to. Accepting that, Bella trudged on along side of him.

**A/N: **Come on, if you didn't see her chasing after Albel coming, you weren't paying attention. I was tempted to throw you for a loop and have her follow Nel around, but somehow I imagine Nel could shake her quicker than Albel could. Something about her being a 'thief/rogue/assassin' type of character. Not in personality or position, but come on, the battle arena admits that's the type of character she is! Anyway, she had to stick to someone otherwise the story would be pretty boring, yeah? Everyone else flew away!


	17. Chapter 17: Murder

**A/N**: This chapter starts off with some violence and adult themes (well, more of allusions, really.) The rest is mainly dialogue. Well, that comes as no surprise. I love dialogue. I could probably write an entire story of pure dialogue! Okay, so that would make it a script more or less, but still!

Chapter 17: _Murder_

Other than the growls and shrieks of the monsters they laid waste to, the journey to Peterny was quiet. Bella got to watch Albel more closely than before, realizing just how fluid his fighting style was. It was definitely effective, and it seemed that once he had an enemy in his grasp, they had not escape until they dropped dead. Although he couldn't beat a monster twice his size to a bloody pulp with his bare fists, his lithe body displayed an insurmountable well of strength. After all, he had to take hits as well as deal them. Bella reflected upon this while she sipped some cider in the tavern on the eastern side of Peterny.

It had been ages since she was last in Peterny, and it made her think about her father. She wasn't sure whether or not she was disturbed that she could not put a face to him, or remember his voice, although he'd spent so many hours reading to her and teaching her many things when she was very little. He became just a nondescript silhouette in her mind, a mere concept or figure than a real person. Bella idly dipped her finger into her cider and licked it. He wasn't a bad father, even if he was never there. However, what was, was, and she'd already had gone through the hassle of reconnecting with her mother. She didn't need to try and seek out her father as well. Listening to the crude language and blather of the men around her, she wondered how many of these men were fathers, and didn't know or care. _If humans hadn't put up their silly rituals, would it really matter? Would these men really be so horrible if they weren't labeled as such_?

"Well looki here, a little pigeon has perched in our bar. What's a pretty little think like you doin' in this rough part of town?" came a guttural voice. Bella slid her amber eyes over, but otherwise did not move a muscle. "Come lookin' fer a real man like that other wench?" _On second thought, yes, cultures and labels or no, these men ARE horrible._ The man addressing her was tall and widely built. He loomed over her, putting a thick arm down on the small table she sat at. She saw a few smaller men leave their seats to come over and investigate, crooked smiles plastered on their grimy faces. Bella slid her eyes back to her drink, ignoring them.

A hand slammed down hard on her table. Bella remained calm, even as she heard the man yell in her face. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He leaned his face, with his large bristly chin, closer to hers. "Just because you're in Aquaria territory, doesn't mean you have the right to disrespect men!"

"I take it you are not locals, then," Bella responded coldly. With Peterny being a hub of commerce, it attracted many unsavory types. Most of the men of Aquaria were much less arrogant of their standing over women. It was hard to be, when there were so many women in high positions, and being governed over by a Queen. The other men were now circled around her like vultures.

"Damn straight. Even the men here are women… I can show you what a real man is like, not like these simpering housewives that call themselves men!" the man responded, some of the flare draining out of his tone.

"Hm… so you mean to say real men are large simpletons with the hygiene of a wild Lum's rump and the breeding of a maggot? Oh yes, you have definitely asserted that you are the better species. Now if you excuse me, your repugnant presence has caused my cider to go sour," Bella said, pushing away from the table to stand up. Large meaty hands slammed down on her shoulders, forcing her back into her seat. Another one of the discretely flicked out a knife, holding it just so Bella could see it in the dim lighting of the tavern.

"Me and my boys don't take lightly to your insults, wench!" he growled. Then, he grinned a crooked and toothy grin, exposing his crooked and mangled teeth. Bella couldn't lay claim to having much better teeth, other than the fact that she filed some of them to a sharp point; an impractical decision on her part. "But since I'm such a forgivin' gentlemanly sort, how about me and my boys escort you home?" he asked, his tone suddenly changing. It was about as smooth as milk - milk that'd been sitting in the sun for ten days. The other men grinned, especially the one holding the knife. After pushing her down in her seat, the large ringleader scooped his hands under her arms and dragged her to her feet. Bella was getting impatient, but didn't want to create a scene - yet. The man passed her towards the man with the knife, who slung one arm around her, and poked the blade into her side under the cover of his shaggy cloak.

"That's right, nice and quiet. We'll take care of you…" came the toxic whisper of the third member of the trio. Bella slid a glance over at him, but then stared straight ahead, calmly being lead out of the door. She wasn't surprised at all when the directed her towards a suspiciously dark alleyway. They were as predictable as the next human was. Bella sighed grievously more for the state in which most human kind was, more than her own perilous situation. They were ordinary men… and though she had felt dwarfed by her previous company, she was confident these men would be easy to incapacitate. Especially if they stayed clustered together.

Bella felt the hard, cold bumpy surface of a stone brick wall as she was pinned against it. Her chin was grabbed in the gnarly fingers of one hand, while another slipped up her blouse. "Don't think it's gonna hurt any less if you don't scream… there's no escape. You're stubbornness will only make it more worthwhile when you crack and cry for mercy," the man whispered menacingly. He glanced over his shoulder, motioning at the others with his head.

"We'll keep a look out," one of them said, and they headed out to guard the entrance of the alleyway. The man turned his hand back to her, licking his formless lips. However, his face instantly snapped to a look of confusion, and didn't have time to change to anger before a sturdy, purple mist was unleashed on him. The man stumbled back from her, but the spray did not recede. Before the mist cleared, she charged the stunned man, viciously grabbing his throat and shoving her thumb into his windpipe. The man tried to holler in rage and pain, but only a raspy, muffled sound escaped his lips. His wide eyes darted from her ferocious expression to her hand, which was glowing. She pressed harder on his throat as green-hued bolts of lightning shot from her hand, connecting to his form and surged through him. His large lungs tried to release a scream, but just resulted in a gargling sound. Bella placed her face close to his, satisfied how helpless he was beneath her thumb.

"Who's going to crack now?" Bella asked, as she drew back her hand. The rush of oppressed noise belted out of his mouth. Bella stomped hard on the man's groin, and then hopped back, preparing for the inevitable rush of his comrades. She waited as the man whimpered and twitched on the ground, paralyzed from her first attack. Her eyes darted about. She was sure his followers would have come to investigate the call of their leader. Still, there was nothing but stillness. Daunted by the darkness, Bella unleashed a singular bolt of fire through the dark, illuminating the path as it went. The movement of a silhouette caught her eye. It was an arrogant sway, just barely moving out of the path of the fireball, and then everything fell dark again. She heard the distinct click of a sword being placed back in its sheath, and faint footsteps approaching. Bella relaxed her muscles, knowing the danger had passed.

"Fancy meeting you here," Bella said dryly as Albel stepped into the dim light a dying torch at the other end of the alley offered. There were dark spots on his bare arm that Bella assumed to be blood spatter.

"I can't stand such pathetic worms…" Albel said, resting a hand on his hip. Bella glanced down, as the effects of her dragon breath technique were wearing off the man. A low growl and an attempt to get up later, the man was flat on his back, out cold. Bella stood over him, kicking him again for good measure.

"Agreed. They're yet another stain on humanity…" Bella responded. Albel looked down at the man, a sneer forming on his face. His eyes then focused on Bella.

"Why haven't you finished him off?" Albel asked, almost mockingly. Bella stood up, wiping her hands on her blouse.

"If I'm going to kill him, I need to be thorough. Hard to be thorough without a means of slitting his throat, now isn't it? Why should I waste my time smashing his head into the ground until it splits open if I could just bleed him out like the pig he is?" Bella asked, holding out her open palm expectantly. Bella believed people like the man who lay beaten before her never learn or reform. She knew he'd wake up angry, and once recovered, would likely find a weaker victim to take out his frustration on. The strong opposition against killing in human societies sometimes was a bother, but, she did respect that they tried to avoid complete anarchy with certain rules. She felt no hesitance as Albel reluctantly lent her his sword. She felt no regret as she firmly placed her foot on the man's chest, and quickly slid the blade along his vulnerable throat. She felt no disgust as the blood sprayed up at her as she severed the arteries in his neck. She felt not pleasure, either, only satisfaction that there was one less disgusting creature wearing human skin. She wiped the sword clean with the bottom of her loose-fitting blouse and handed it back to Albel, whom quickly snatched it and sheathed it.

There was a pause of silence. It wasn't awkward, per se, but definitely punctuated. "There is nothing left to do here," Albel finally said as he turned away and began walking out of the alleyway. Bella closed the distance between them with a dash, and then slowed to a stroll.

"Even if everything was a coincidence, thanks anyway," Bella said. Albel turned and looked at her, lifting his chin and narrowing his eyes. He regarded her for a moment and then looked forward, saying nothing as he stepped over the corpse of one of the henchmen. They turned the corner to the main street of the east sect of Peterny. Bella stopped in front of the entrance to the tavern.

"I'll see you in the morning, depend on it," Bella said, turning to leave. A sound, somewhat like a chuckle cut off at the first wrung, came from Albel.

"Decided it's too rough for you in here?" Albel asked.

"No. I only had enough fol for a drink," Bella responded. She thumbed over her shoulder. "I'm just going to sleep just outside the South Gate of Peterny."

"Are you serious?" Albel paused, staring at Bella's unchanged expression. Albel shook his head "If a monster eats you in your sleep, the only tragic part would be your stupidity."

"Hmm… on second thought, I guess I could loot those corpses," Bella said, bringing a hand to her chin in thought. She doubted she could have made such a suggestion if Fayt were still around. She didn't know him long, but he seemed like a good person with fair morals through and through. Being a good person wasn't a bad thing in her opinion, nor was it a weakness. It just lent itself to being impractical.

"I doubt they'll have anything… knowing their like, those scum are probably in debt," Albel said pessimistically. Bella shrugged.

"It's worth a shot," Bella said, turning around. Albel tsked at her and then headed into the tavern. Bella walked back into the alleyway. She produced a small, non-burning light to hover above her as she relocated the bodies. After searching through the pockets of their shabby clothes, she found only a few coins between the three of them. Bella frowned, holding them in her hand. That was barely enough for another drink, let alone a room for the night - no matter how cheap of an establishment it was. Nonetheless, she headed back into the tavern. At least she could have herself another drink before retiring for the night.

Once she returned to the tavern, she realized just how cold it was outside. Still, it was nothing like the biting cold of Airyglyph. The barman gave her a suspicious glare, but said nothing to her. His eyes constantly went to the blood on her shirt. She quietly placed her order and dropped the coins on the counter. They were gone almost the moment they hit the counter. Bella took her drink, cheap beer this time, and turned around. Albel hadn't retired for the night, and was sitting in the far corner, having himself a cozy pint.

"You were right, they barely had any money on them," Bella said as she sat beside Albel. "I could only afford the cheapest drink on the menu with what they had between the three of them."

"So what are you doing back here?" Albel asked. Bella held up her mug.

"Figured I'd treat myself with some medicine to help me sleep. It's cold out there," Bella responded. "Besides, I might as well marinate my guts for whatever beast is going to gobble me up." The comment got Albel to smile a less dangerous smile, which made Bella grin. Perhaps the smile was spurred by the vivid imagery he was now projecting through his head of her getting torn apart by some carnivore. Or he could just be under the relaxing influence of alcohol and accepting a joke here or there. It didn't really matter to her either way.

"You're not getting any money off of me," Albel finally said. Bella nearly choked on her drink. It wasn't Albel's accusation that caused this, just the horrible taste and uneven texture of the drink. She slammed it down, making a sour grimace, while Albel continued to calmly sip his drink.

"I expected this to be bad… but this is ridiculous…" Bella said, trying to ease the muscles in her face from bracing. After a moment Bella glanced over at him, finally processing what he had said just as the nasty concoction entered her mouth. "I'm not trying to get any money off of you. I'm not a leech."

"Oh? And what about the hefty sum of money you borrowed from that idealistic fool?" Albel countered. Bella tapped her fingers on the table.

"Fayt? Hm, well, point taken. He already proved that he carelessly threw it around, and I'm not beneath picking up windfalls. Well, okay, maybe I shook that branch a little, but it's not my nature to glean money off of people," Bella defended. Albel looked less than convinced.

"Just like it isn't your nature to attach yourself to the strong so not to get picked off when travelling?" Albel pursued, trying to corner Bella. Bella took in a deep breath, swirling the contents of the mug with her finger.

"Hmm… now, you're waiting for me to get defensive and prove that I can take care of myself and strike out on my own, thus being rid of me. I'm not so easily baited. If you think I'm weak, then that's your perception. I am secure enough in my ability to survive on my own with no reference to your opinion," she lifted her finger, and watched as the residue pulled together into a single droplet, and fell back into the mug.

"Don't get me wrong, fool. I'm just calling it as I see it," Albel said, throwing Bella's earlier words back in her face. This only made Bella smile. She could also see a smirk lurking behind Albel's mug as he raised it to drink.

"I am absolutely serious that my intentions aren't to cut your purse strings loose," Bella said. Albel put down his mug, staring at her.

"I don't care. Whether it's money or something else, it's obvious you are trying to get something from me. I'm not naïve like that fool, or the worms he calls friends," He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and hushed his tone. "Even if you had a weapon, I doubt you would have finished that scum off without my input. You're trying to impress me for some sordid reason."

"Did it work?" Bella asked sweetly. She, too, put her elbows on the table. However, the lifted her forearms and cradled her fingers together, resting her chin on the back of her fingers. Albel leaned back, just leaving his hand on the table, drumming it with his fingers, as he watched Bella. He seemed temporarily at a loss for words, having been prepared to cut her down when she denied his accusation. After a moment, he turned his head away, looking across the room.

"No. You've just proved you are a weak-minded maggot - a follower," Albel responded finally. Bella shook her head.

"If that is your opinion, then I suppose it wouldn't make any difference that I would have killed him one way or another. People like that are a menace, and must be exterminated to enhance the living quality of others," Bella leaned further forward. "That isn't to say I advocate killing anyone, especially not for self-serving purposes… like proving how strong you are."

"Then what was that?"

"As I said, he was not just useless, but dangerous and disgraceful. He attacked me first. If he'd been collateral damage, or we'd been in a fight over something trivial like false pride, no matter what you said, I'd have just left him unconscious. For that reason, if you ever raise your sword against me, I will not kill you even if it means my own destruction. Enemy or no, you're too valuable to waste. Your philosophy on life or death is much more simple - the strong survive, and the weak perish. I don't expect you to even want to understand my own ideals, but there they are," Bella said, speaking in a low, calm tone. Her voice was devoid of variation, other than pauses in appropriate places. Perhaps one could even describe her explanation as droning. However, she kept her eyes on Albel the entire time to keep his attention.

"But you don't deny you were seeking my approval," Albel said, keeping focused, not letting all her words throw him off.

"Is it wrong to seek someone's approval? Or are compliments so foreign to you that you simply do not how to accept them?" Bella raised her eyebrows. "My actions would have been the same either way. I don't deny that those predetermined actions would prove to you I am not so delicate within or without."

"Bah…" Albel dismissed. He had nothing more to say, and no more ammunition to use against Bella. He rose to his feet, marking the end of their conversation. "I'm going to bed," he announced firmly as he headed towards the accommodations.

"Rest well," Bella said, though she doubted he heard. There is a certain vibe people whose heads are busy and full of noise exert, and she had definitely given him a lot to think about. Bella stood up. She stared down at the mug of filth she had barely touched. Taking in a deep breath she forced the rest of the unpleasant, burning liquid down. She fought to keep the substance down and to maintain a straight face as she slipped out into the street. However, she could not help but grimace the entire walk to the south gate. It truly was a putrid substance - _how typical of a human to create such an abomination_.

**A/N**: I have NEVER had a drink of alcohol in my life, and have never been in a bar. So perhaps some of the portrayals in this chapter were off… but if we limited our stories to our own experiences, things would get dull, now wouldn't they?


	18. Chapter 18: Fall

**A/N**: I'm usually a fairly mature person, and in that, I can avoid crude humour. Or juvenile humour. However, I can never get over the booby traps in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Something about a woman having a bear trap set and hiding in her cleavage just makes me laugh. Stupid weasel. What does this have to do with anything? Nothing really. giggles like a maniac BOOBY TRAPS! Actually, the term boob originally was synonymous with a fool. Since only a fool would put themselves in danger for the sake of greed or curiosity, my theory is that is where the term 'booby trap' came to be. A trap for boobs, as in fools. There are no booby traps in this chapter. Traps, yes. Boobs, yes. But not a trap ready for someone to come foolishly floundering into an obviously perilous place. There are no Jessica Rabbit style booby traps either. Sorry. So, do you feel enlightened?

**Chapter 18: **_**Fall**_

The flames were reduced to embers. The dim, yet persistent glow was all around her, and yet, it still seemed pitch black where she stood. She could not see her own hand held out in front of her. Still, she saw the seething red dots peering like angry eyes around her. She turned and turned, and there was no void in the veins of heat. Although she could smell smoke, a cold draft sent chills down her spine. Bella moved to get closer to the embers, but no matter how many steps she took she never got any closer. In desperation Bella began to run. Everything stayed still and distant, like the backdrop in some play. She finally stopped, falling to her knees. One by one, the embers blinked out, leaving her in the darkness, alone, and even colder. A thick fog seeped into her mind, and finally she did the only thing she had left to do; scream.

A brilliant flash of light shot into her wide eyes, perforating her skull like blazing darts. She quickly threw a hand to her eyes, as she jerked to a sitting position. She felt grimy, cold, and damp all over. The feeling of leaves sticking to her skin was a relief from the flat nothingness her dream left her in. She wiped at her eyes, scraping away dried tears that crusted to her eyelashes.

"Awe, did the poor maggot have a nightmare?" came Albel's voice, which caused her to freeze, her hands still up to her eyes. She stopped tending to her face and thrust her hands down to the ground, only to propel herself up quickly. In a flicker of a moment she was standing upright and facing Albel, although, squinting as her eyes had not yet adjusted to the dawn light.

"Hardly," Bella responded. She stooped down and grabbed her things. She pulled her gauntlets out of the bag and put them on. "I'm surprised you're waiting around. I thought you'd be happy I overslept and be on your way."

"I was enjoying the view," Albel responded with nonchalance as he swayed his head to the side to shift his bangs out of his eyes temporarily. After fixing her with stare with ambiguous expression, he turned.

Bella glanced down at chest, back to Albel, down at herself, and promptly readjusted and retied her blouse so that it hung on her more modestly. She struggled into her leather armor, then slung the rest of her belongings over her shoulder. "View? My natural female instincts tell me I ought to slap you. However my better senses tell me that wasn't what you meant, and even if it was, slapping is beneath me."

"What are you going on about, fool?" Albel said, going from amused to slightly irritated as he made his way to the main road. Bella rolled her free shoulder, feeling a sore stiffness in it. She must have slept on it funny…

"What did you find so amusing? I doubt my breasts are entertaining enough to keep you for long. You have more important things to do. Places to be, people to see, things to kill…" Bella said, keeping her tone carefully guarded as she followed him.

"…"

The trip to Arias was livelier than the trip to Peterny. It was also much quicker. There weren't necessarily more encounters, nor was there more conversation. In fact, there was less conversation, partially because she had caught Albel off guard. The liveliness was in the overall attitude and body language of the two travelers. Bella was doing everything possible to keep her mind off her dream, and Albel was preoccupied with entertaining a new line of thoughts, all the while trying to appear nonchalant, hoping his momentary loss of composure would go unnoticed.

The two of them stood in front of the pathetic gates of the war-torn town of Arias. Bella stared at them while speaking. "We arrived earlier than I had anticipated. The sun is still fairly high, but I supposed we might as well still stop and rest here for a while…"

"Do that if you wish, but I have no intention of stopping in this pathetic dirt hole," Albel said, placing a hand on his waist, and glaring critically at the town. Bella finally glanced over at him.

"Small as it is, I'm sure it has decent enough accommodations," Bella responded. "I see no reason for passing it by. There's now an alliance in effect between Airyglyph and Aquaria, isn't there?"

"Alliance or not, the maggots of this town just drag on and whimper about their misfortunes, but have hardly made much of an attempt to rebuild. Such useless worms…" Albel sputtered.

"So? Ignore them. You've already shown me you are elite at that," Bella responded, stepping towards the gates. "I, personally, I would like a drink before I head off again."

"With what money? You were broke in Peterny. Besides, the tavern got destroyed during the war," Albel chided. Bella paused.

"Well, then, I guess there is no reason to stop here. We'll just walk on through," Bella decided. She didn't drink heavily, but she did enjoy a relaxing mug of beer or cider after a long day of working. It was a delight she had forgone in the wild. It was one of the better inventions of humankind. It was just a poor shame that humans were indulgent, which lead to undesirable results.

Not another word was uttered between the two of them. They stepped through the gates, and took the most direct route to the Southwest gate. It was a very short route. That could be attributed to the town being small. However, even in the short time it took to get from one end to the next, Bella saw what Albel meant. A woman was stooped by a grave in a small, ill-maintained cemetery, like something out of a painting. A man stared obsessively and longingly, with a look of discouragement at the remains of a destroyed building (which Bella assumed to be the tavern, sharing with the man a morose sigh.) People, old and young, walked with sagged shoulders and grim faces. _Did the truce, and the knowledge that no more hostility would come against them mean nothing? In their defense, these people are still damaged, but I do not thing they are lame. Not yet._

"So, what did you find so amusing earlier?" Bella pressed as they neared the gate. Albel ignored her, just as she suggested he was good at. However, she stared at him noisily. It wasn't that she was actually making noise, but the feeling of her staring had a way of tingling the back of one's skull, and vibrating busily in one's ears. It was the sort of stare that made the air around you suddenly take on a warm, moist membrane, and the slightest breeze become like many prodding fingers. It was not magic, it was just a well-trained method of being annoying without effort.

"You try to act tough, but when you were asleep and not in control, you curled up and blubbered like an infant. We aren't having second thoughts or feeling of guilt, are we?" Albel finally said.

"…I was not!" Bella insisted.

"You screamed," Albel reminded her.

"So?" Bella responded.

"It was amusing to watch your writhe in agony," Albel said, finally putting a hand to his waist. "What was so frightening, I wonder?"

"I wasn't afraid. It wasn't a nightmare. That wasn't a scream of fear or pain. It was a scream of frustration. That's all," Bella said, crossing her arms over her chest. She stared stubbornly ahead of her, but then finally gave Albel a side-glance. There was a cattish, almost malicious curve to his lips, but it couldn't quite be called a smile. It told her that he didn't believe her, and preferred to input his own version instead. "If it was a shriek of terror, I wouldn't be ashamed, though. The human mind is, perhaps, one of the most frightening things I know of. No one goes through life without moments of sick torment they wish upon others, or will upon themselves. You certainly are a fine specimen of that fact."

"..."

Soon after, Albel and Bella were in the Traum hills, heading towards Kirlsa. There was a disconcerting stillness and silence as they walked. She made her observations known to Albel.

"It's too quiet. Something's wrong," Bella said. Albel shook his head, holding up his hand for her to be quiet. They walked a little further. Bella felt a prickle on the back of her neck, and softness in the road. A road that was packed hard from the pressure of many feet that traveled it should not shift beneath her feet. "Albel…"

She had spoken too late, and took one step too many. The dirt beneath hers and Albel's feet gave way on their next step. Bella screamed and desperately grabbed at the edge for anything to hold on to. She drove her metal claws into the side of the dirt wall, causing her to slide down a short jog until she'd enough friction to break her momentum. Her legs dangled and kicked beneath her as she tried to gain a foothold. However, every time she drove her foot into the soft wall and put the weight of her foot on it, it slid under her weight and crumbled down. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Albel in a similar dilemma. She looked down, and saw a few pointed sticks jutting from the ground. She looked up again. She had fallen maybe four feet. She could feel the clumps of dirt beginning to shift beneath her claws.

"Well, wadda-we 'ave here?" came a voice like re-used cooking grease. Bella glanced up, bits of dirt and pebbles falling onto her face as two feet occupied the edge of the hole.

"Your worst nightmare!" Albel responded. Bella glanced over her shoulder again at him. There was only so much he could do with his one gauntlet. He had already started climbing up, unlike Bella who was just holding on so not to fall further onto the skewers below. Bella stared at his free hand, as streams and brooks of blood tumbled down his arm. His sword was long, and unwieldy in this situation. In order to stick it into the wall without losing his balance, he'd been handling it by the blade instead of by the hilt. And so Bella was not surprised when she heard men laughing at his retort.

"Seems t'me we gotta dog with a big bark, eh?" came a reply from above. Bella shook her head. She should have acted with more suspicion.

"Hey, in'dat, wossname, Albel the Wicked? Big shot swordsman?" the man who was standing above Bella said.

"Naw, can't be. He's taller'n that," argued the other man.

"Look, I'm tellan' ya, that's 'im! I seen 'im 'fore," shot back the man above Bella.

"Oh yeah? When? Where?" asked the other.

"Well… dun 'member when, an', well, was from a far away, but that's him!" came his reply. The two continued to bicker. Bella and Albel used the time to their advantage. Bella began to prepare a spell, while Albel pulled out his sword from the wall, relying on his mechanical gauntlet to keep him. Albel angled his wrist in order to have his sword pointing downward. He relaxed his grip enough for the sword to slide from his fingers, only to catch it by the hilt. With a heave, he used all of his strength to throw himself upward, using the extra reach of his sword, and slashed the man above him.

The man shrieked in pain and rage, wheeling backwards from surprise and injury. His hand flew to his stomach, where Albel had caught him with a superficial cut. Just as the other man realized what was happening, a blue-green spark erupted from beneath his feet, and then flared into a writhing vortex of lightning. Bella pushed herself up using both of her arms, and then jerked one out of its holder and threw it up, clawing at the edge of the pit. She felt herself falling before she felt the ground, and just as her organs were beginning to rise within her skin, her claws caught on some roots. Bella took a hold, and crawled out of the pit. Once her legs no longer dangled over the edge, she sighed and rested in a prostrate position. She only rested until the effects of her thunder flare wore off. At this moment, she rolled onto her back, and shot out two rounds of fire bolts while the man regained his composure. The man jumped back, seeing the oncoming globes of heat, and then soared right past him, barely missing him on both sides. Realizing that he wasn't burnt to a crisp, he gave a wide, toothless grin.

"You missed!" he said triumphantly as he swiftly grabbed daggers from his belt. Bella smirked at him.

"Did I?" she asked. Her eyes looked beyond him, where the two balls curved, crossing each other's path, mad a full circle, and then, side by side, came screaming back at the man from behind. He was hit on the back, letting out an undignified yelp as he was flung forward onto his hands and knees. Bella got to her feet. She held up both hands, her gauntlets glowing brightly. With a flicker, one seared with fire, while the other danced with lightning. The light produced by her imbued gauntlets highlighted her face, which was grinning down at the bandit.

"S-see ya!" the bandit stuttered, getting his feet beneath him. His legs were running before he had even uncrouched, making him teeter uneasily as he attempted to scram. Before deciding whether to give chase, she glanced over across the pit to see how Albel was faring. He stood over the pathetic remains of the other bandit, wrapping up his hand. Bella turned her head and dashed after the remaining bandit.

"Come back and fight me with some dignity!" she hollered, chasing after the scurrying thief. Albel just shook his head at her.

"What a waste of time…" he muttered to himself. As he turned to continue on his way, prepared to leave Bella to catch up on her own time, the patter of feet caught his attention. Just as his hand reached his hilt, his half-turned body became victim to a hard, velocity-strengthened impact. The blurry silhouette of a third person was the last thing he saw before the wall of the pit he'd just climbed out of occupied his line of vision. His body was falling, and this time his arms were nowhere near the wall. There was nothing to grab onto, and only the skewers below to break his fall - or break him.

**A/N**: Since there is a lack of suspense, I figured I would attempt to add some to the mix. It kills me to end a chapter like that, because the way I think, I have to think in complete segments... so suspense or cliff-hangers are hard for me to write without going nuts. I can read them without getting too horribly psycho, but... oh it looks so icomplete! I had to bind my fingers for a solid five minutes before typing this so I wouldn't add more. However, since I have shown a pattern of regularly updating, you can rest assured that you won't have to wait an eternity-and-a-half for the next update. Unless I undergo a series of unfortunate, and likely painful, events that prevent me from writing. You know, like getting hit by a bus. Or being mugged. Or catching a deadly and rapidly progressive disease (my sister had meningitis recently. It was scary). Or being struck by lightning. Or winning the lottery and saying 'to heck with this, I'm going to bribe every editor out there to publish some of my original stuff'. You may argue that the last item wouldn't fit under a listing of unfortunate events. However, it would be unfortunate. I'd hate to get it in my head that I could buy success. I'd much prefer to be published because I have some potential or talent, rather than a loose purse string. I don't actually use a purse, though, just a black bag with a shoulder strap. It has skulls on it.

I did not proof read this before submitting. I was too eager to update. So if you find major problems in here, let me know. Or don't and wait for me to go over this chapter later.


	19. Chapter 19: Proposal

**A/N:** Who thinks Bella is a bit on the crazy side? Raise your hands! Well, she actually isn't that crazy, just different. Well, maybe after this chapter you may think her more odd than ever before. Anyway, I am tired. I wrote the last quarter of this chapter tired. I'm too tired to proof-read it, and I promised someone I'd have it up by Monday. Right now it is 12:22 Monday morning. Sorry if it's a bit clunky. I'll smooth it over another time.

**Chapter 19:**_** Proposal**_

The facts are these. Metal, even some of the lighter alloys, tend to be heavier than most body tissues. For one, metal tends to be dense, and not nearly as porous as most organic substances. Another interesting observation may be that an object that is falling, with unevenly distributed weight and density, tends to twist until the heaviest section or substance is at the bottom. However, none of these facts were at all important to the man who had these laws to his advantage. Nor did the woman, looking down into a large pit, consider these principles over a more favorable explanation: luck.

"How did you manage to fall BETWEEN the spikes? I suppose you can't be so thin for no reason at all," Bella said. She saw minimal movement as Albel's head turned to glare up at her. Bella kneeled down, squinting into the dark hole beneath her. "Still, you had some sort of good luck on your side."

On his side; that is precisely how he had landed. With only one part of his body being armored, and that being his shortened upper extremity, he fell gauntlet first. Any points from the wooden sticks in the trap below were cracked and broken upon meeting with metal-encased appendage. Of course, splinters of various sizes managed to get in through hinges and gaps and stick into his arm. Likewise, his legs and parts of his lower abdomen sustained superficial cuts. They were, indeed, shallow. However, what they lacked n depth they made up for with width, causing long, bloody streaks all along his exposed skin.

"Bah, luck! Those who believe in luck are lazy, worthless worms…" Albel muttered from beneath. Following this, there was a grunt as he tried to lift himself upright.

"Er… no… those who RELY on luck are likely to become lazy. Believing it passively is easier than trying to find an explanation for every coincidence or fortunate occurrence," Bella responded. She glanced beside her where a third body lay. "I already checked the area. I didn't find any more bandits lying in wait. Not that it would be so bad. If I got pushed from behind like you did, I at least would have YOU to break my fall."

"Once I find my sword…" Albel said, his voice trailing off. Bella watched as he groped around in the dark mud for a while, growing more irritated by the minute. Bella reached beside her, and dangled the long blade above him.

"Looking for this? You must have dropped it when you got shoved," Bella said. He stopped and glared up at her.

"Give me my sword," Albel demanded. Bella set the sword down beside her.

"Give you your sword? I am capable of offering better by helping you out. Unfortunately, I will only help you out and give you your sword under certain conditions," Bella said, steepling her fingers.

"Or I can climb up there, take my sword, and use it to gut you," Albel responded hotly. Bella smiled down at him.

"By the time you got out of there on your own, I'd be gone. If you were angry enough, I suppose you could try to hunt me down, but I like to think I'm fairly adequate at staying hidden," Bella responded smugly. Albel was quiet for a few moments. Bella waited patiently, keeping an eye on him.

"So the truth comes out. You're as much as a two-faced maggot as the bandits who dug this trap in the first place…" Albel muttered. Bella said nothing, and just waited on him expectantly. Albel glanced down at all the cuts, and then back up at her. "I'll hear your conditions. I make no promises, though."

"My condition is this: I let you out, give you your sword, in full trust that you won't go back on your deal and stab me in the back, or the front as it is more your style, if you agree to marry me. Don't accept my conditions, and I take your sword with me, and leave you here to claw your way out," Bella offered, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"What!?" Bella had expected surprise. She sat patiently, waiting for the initial shock to be over, and whatever secondary response may come. She had calculated the possibility of complete speechlessness for a good solid minute. She's also considered the possibility of Albel responding by taking serious offence. Lastly, she also thought it would be possible that he wouldn't believe she was serious, and tell her to stop such foolish nonsense and give him his sword. Then, eventually, he would either accept or decline after some witless banter.

"Your sense of humour is worse than that old coot!" Albel finally said once he regained his composure. He brushed some of the splinters of wood from his sarong, and then looked up again. "You're trying my patience."

"I was absolutely serious. This is neither farce nor whim. I've thouight things through, and as proof of that, I'll give you the reason for my apparent madness," Bella offered. She cleared her throat, and began. "I'm not a fan of the nuances of most societies, but I know that women are usually married ten years younger than I. The longer I wait, the harder it will be to bear a strong and healthy child. I'm not interested in social climbing, security, or love. I am interested in the strength that flows through our blood. Some people, no matter how hard they try, will never be as strong or as skilled as you simply because they have bad blood. For someone to be as talented as yourself, some of it must lie in your lineage. I don't need to know your name or who your family is to know this." Bella paused.

"…"

"So there it is. If the idea repulses you, then I will leave," Bella said. Albel was looking down, and she could not see his face to read it. Bella shifted her position, then continued to speak. "Hjere is how it stands. You stay there, and have to struggle, wounded and tired, out of a pit, and make your way home in such a state. Chances are before you get out other Glyphians may come by. Though they'd likely help you out, I believe it would damage your reputation, and in turn, hurt your pride. On the other hand, you agree, and I get you out, you get your weapon back, and I never speak of this to anyone. Plus, you get yourself a wife. I lack lady-like qualities and decorum, true, and I also am not remarkably gorgeous. You wouldn't be gaining much, but you also have nothing to lose, unless you DO have a prior attachment. My condolences to any women who would strike YOUR fancy."

"What do you mean by that?" Albel asked, deflecting making a decision.

"You have a one track mind to be the strongest, and to butcher the weak. I wouldn't be surprised if you trained straight for days on end-"

"Preposterous! I don't need to train!"

"-rather than evenly distribute your time with other, tamer hobbies, or engage in socializing. With your linear and black-and-white thinking, I imagine any woman you had any strong interest in would be the victim of obsession," Bella said, laying out her interpretation before him, knowing that she was WELL out of arm's reach this time. "I don't care if you aren't interested in me. I couldn't care if you despised my presence. If you decline now, I'll either find other methods of coercion, or search for someone as strong, if not stronger, than yourself."

"So you're absolutely serious, then," Albel said quietly. With what little room there was beneath, he began to pace. "Scheming little maggot…"

"I originally was going to confront you and tell you straight out what my ambitions were once we reached Kirlsa. It isn't as though this trap and the bandits were part of some sort of scheme of mine. Nevertheless, I suggest you accept my terms," Bella said. She as beginning to grow impatient. There were still many more things she had planned.

"How can I trust you won't pull something like this again?"

"It's up to you to trust me. Anything I say won't make a difference. I can promise this will not happen again… but again… it's up to you to believe me. I will not use such mercenary means again, but I will not promise to keep trying until I find someone else who is worthy," Bella insisted.

"And what of your worth? What makes you think you're worthy to me?" Albel asked, raising his voice, and beginning to pace more restlessly.

"What would I have to do to be worthy of you? You don't know, do you? Or it'd be something impossible for me to achieve. If it's strength that concerns you, I have proven that I am not weak. I may not be as strong as you, but I have the guile, strength, and common sense to survive. You know that. You constantly deny it, but you know I am strong," Bella said between clenched teeth. "It's not just the strong who survive - it's those capable of adapting. If you can't attain that trait, then all your years of training will amount to nothing."

"I already know that, fool!" Albel snapped. "Do you expect me to take such a demand lightly? To be agreeable when you've set this up like some scenario from a childish fairytale?"

"With reverse gender roles," Bella quickly added.

"Shut up. I'm not defeated, and I am not the type of pathetic worm you can exploit to get your way," Albel said. He walked to the wall of the pit. He looked straight up at her, crouching a little. With a grunt, he launched himself upwards, grabbing onto root that was sticking through the soil. Bella rose to her feet, grabbing his sword, and watched as he began to climb. She watched as the root came out, and he tumbled back down to the bottom. He growled, and tried again. Bella took a few steps away from the pit, holding his sword tightly.

After half an hour, a hand rose from the hole in the ground, grabbing around for something sturdy enough for the last pull. A root, a branch, a firmly grounded rock… anything so not to tumble back down again, as he had many times before. He did not expect to feel another hand grab his. Before he could withdraw, or pull himself high enough to see the surface, the hand gripped tight and began to pull him out.

"Your stubbornness and steadfast arrogance are quite reliable," Bella said as she dragged him the rest of the way out of the pit. Albel's glare reached a new level of cold as he looked at her. Bella did not flinch. Many may speculate her actions to be foolish, but nonetheless, with an air of absolute confidence, she handed him his sword. He grabbed it from her, and though his face was contorted into a look of utmost displeasure, there was also an awkward presence of confusion residing within him. While he steadied himself, Bella shoved her hand into a bag.

"So that was just some sick joke? I've killed men for less…" Albel threatened in a low voice. Bella tilted her head to him with a faint smile as she unraveled a bundle of bandages.

"Does that mean you've killed women for more?" Bella asked cheekily. Albel grabbed the collar of her shirt. A mild gasp shot to her throat, where the jerking movement of being pulled violently squelched it forward. Her face was pulled so close to his, she could feel the slow, seething breaths. All she could see were his intense red eyes, and the rampant strands of his bangs, which hung over them. She couldn't see his lips part, about to say something to express his immense displeasure at her game. She could hear, however, that no such words came, but stopped at the gates of his mind.

"Albel…" Bella said after a moment had passed in silence. She gradually became aware of the exchanges of conflict that ran across his mind. Many say that eyes are a window to the soul. Bella does not believe in such nonsense, but she does know that eyes do relay what may be going on in one's mind. "That wasn't an elaborate joke aimed at humiliating you. I-"

"I'm done listening to you," Albel interrupted, throwing her down. Bella landed hard on her posterior, dropping all of the bandages she was holding. She scrambled to grab them all again. When she looked up again, Albel was already walking away. There was a definite limp in his gait, although he tried to hide pain and injury as much as possible. Bella clicked her tongue and finished gathering up the bandages. Once they were together, she put them in the bag, and remained sitting. She'd been divided when she stated her conditions. Half of her wanted him to decline, knowing she'd respect him less if he caved under her pressure. However, the remaining half wanted him to accept, as she believed everything she had said. None of it was false. She would only marry a man who appeared to have strength in his blood - someone who could pass it on through her to a new life; a new life she could mold, shape, and temper. Also, there was that promise she needed to fulfill to her mother. Promises were so problematic on the long run. Bella was distracted from her thoughts by a distant thud.

----------

In spite of the entire hassle the bandits' trap had caused her, there was a bright side on the whole affair. Since they were bandits, they have supplies and coin that they had taken from previous victims. And thus, Bella sat at the tavern in Kirlsa, getting a dirty glare from a middle-aged man who sat slumped in his chair. Every once in a while he muttered complaints, and grumbled about the alliance between the two countries. Bella had hoped to hear something worthwhile or interesting during her brief drink at the bar, but all she got was him and his belly aching. With a sigh she paid for her drink and headed back to the inn.

While she made the short trips through the dusty streets of Kirlsa from the tavern to the inn, she heard a ruckus. It wasn't the sort that gives a foreboding feeling of doom. In fact, there was a very positive feeling coming from it, especially since the aforementioned ruckus was the sound of cheering. This caused Bella to take a grief detour. She walked towards the main street, which lead from one gate to the other. She stood on her toes to see over the crowd of people. Her eyes landed on Woltar and some of his escorting guards coming in through the eastern gate. _That was fast._

"Where do you think you're going?" came a deep, gritty voice. She ignored it as she walked with a sense of purpose in her stride. A heavy, gauntlet-clad hand came down heavy on her shoulder. "Stop!" barked a voice as the hand spun her around. She stared into the squinting eyes of one of Woltar's guards.

"I need to tell Woltar something," Bella responded firmly, putting her hand on his, and pushing it off.

"He doesn't need to be bothered by the likes of you. Feel free to look around the premises, but if you try to enter his home, I will have to remove you by force," the man said sternly. Bella shook her head.

"Well, if I wanted to get a message to him, would you see to it that he gets it?" Bella asked. The man scowled.

"I am no errand boy!" he said indignantly.

"Then get me someone who is, or take the message yourself," Bella said firmly.

"You are an impudent sort of woman," the man said warily. "I doubt you have anything that his lordship needs to, or cares to hear."

"Let him be the judge of that," Bella said as she dug in her satchel until she found some wrinkled and torn parchment. She grabbed a broken quill and licked it to get the ink that had dried in it moist again, and scratched out a quick message. It was legible, if only barely, but it said what it needed to say, "Albel injured. Meet at the inn. Bella."

"Are you quite done?" the man said impatiently. She had been using his chest plate as a hard surface to write on, much to his disdain. However, not wanting to create a scene by striking her down, he took the abuse. Woltar didn't need to deal with needless paperwork upon his return, after all.

"Yes. Get this to him yourself, or yell at one of his maids to deliver it. If it doesn't reach him, I'll know," Bella said. The man took it gingerly, giving her a contemptuous bow of false courtesy, and turned away from her. Bella watched him go with a frown, and then sprinted off.

Bella ran up the stairs of the inn to the cluttered accommodations. It wasn't often one could find an inn that was sophisticated enough to offer the privacy of separate rooms for its patrons, and even less likely one could afford it. Thus, the room she stepped into was wall-to-wall with bunks stacked on to each other. Lying on one of the beds was her vict - er Albel. Bella pulled up a chair and sat beside him, ready for an onslaught of indignation once he came to.

"Where… ugh…wha… YOU!" were his first words upon coherence. Bella placed her hands in her lap and just nodded her head as his eyes snapped to her. "What did you do?" he accused.

"Nothing. You fell down another hole," Bella said calmly.

"I did not!" he snapped crankily.

"Yes, yes you did. That one didn't have wooden spikes, though, just a few big rocks waiting at the bottom," Bella responded. He scowled at her, but slowly reached his hand behind his head to feel around for bumps. Albel tried to sit up, putting his arms down to hoist himself up, but failed. His one hand began to lift, but without the support of another, he ended up just turning sharply, almost falling out of the bed. Quickly he turned and inspected himself.

"Where's my gauntlet?" he asked in a low, severe tone. Bella's eyes also wandered to the stump his arm ended in about an inch from his elbow. The red, scarred tissue that lay beneath the bandages was something unsightly to behold. However, as much as she respected certain aspects of Albel, she knew he projected such ugliness, and finally saw the probably source of it.

"Beside me, with the rest of your effects," Bella said, nudging a bag with her foot. Albel stared at it, seeing the top of his pauldron peeking out from the folds of material that held it. Slowly, he lifted his damaged arm and stared fixedly at the bandaged stub. After an moment of intense silence, he set it down and stared up at the bottom of the bunk above him, setting his head back on a lousy pillow.

"It's impressive…" Bella said after more silence fell on the room.

"What?" he asked absently, continuing to stare at nothing in particular with contempt.

"Even with a physical disadvantage, you are an elite fighter. It makes me respect your skill all the more," Bella said. His eyes glided over to stare at her.

"Respect, or pity?" he asked in a grave tone.

"Respect," Bella said with certainty. "I didn't know for sure why you always wore your gauntlet; my failure to be more observant."

"Hmph. You don't know? It seems everyone knows why… I can tell by how they all stare at me with such infuriating pity. I don't need the condescending sympathies of all those worms and maggots…" Albel growled. Bella tapped her thigh and tilted her head slightly.

"Oh, I'm sure there are more reasons than your arm that people would pity you," Bella said dryly. He quickly propped himself up on his good elbow and glared at her, then realized with his good arm beneath him it only left his stub, which lacked the finger to grab her throat with, and flopped back down on his back with a growl.

"What do you know?" he responded, turning away.

"I know that people who believe themselves on a superior level because of higher morals and compassion to pity those who walk the lonely road. Likewise, people who are alone and wary of people pity those who are naïve and gullible enough to be betrayed and taken for granted. I don't think there are many people who want to be you, because they see some lonely, tortured soul, missing a hand no less, who doesn't have the courage or strength to trust and confide in another person. Likewise, I am pitied for having such a low self esteem in my lady-like qualities that I have to act wild and push away tradition because I am too afraid to try and fit in and fail. People always find abstract reasons to pity people, and use that pity as an insult, insinuating that their pity is worse than their hatred," Bella said, going off again on one of her observations of humans. She leaned back in her chair, going entirely uninterrupted from the brooding man before her.

"I'd rather be hated than pitied," Albel said after a while.

"Hate is passionate. Pity is just patronizing. One would prefer the flattery of the passion and preoccupation directed at them, rather than to be seen as helpless. I suppose you have long since grown bored of my constantly, long-winded analyses and rants on human nature… so I will spare you any more for the time being. Woltar has returned already."

"What? You didn't tell him what-"

"I haven't told him anything. I left him a brief message stating you were injured and here at the inn. I didn't know where you took residence, so the best place to stash you until you recovered was here. It's a good thing we weren't the first victims of those bandits. It made looting them somewhat profitable," Bella quickly explained. Albel relaxed somewhat. Then slowly he sat up, and swiveled his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Well, I'm awake now, and have no need to stay in this filthy bed," Albel said, rising to his feet. Bella just shook her head. She wasn't going to stop him. Only he truly knew how he felt, and thus, if he was capable of getting himself home. If he over estimated himself and collapsed, then perhaps he'd learn to be more carefully with his health the next time. Bella wordlessly handed him his gear. He snatched it, and began to strap his arm into his gauntlet properly. He moved it around, and flexed his arm to make sure everything was properly placed. Examining the large metal appendage over carefully, he finally gave a satisfied nod, and left. The whole while, Bella silently watched him. _If everyone knows what happened to him, as he thinks they do, then I have some answer seeking to do around the town._ Bella leaned back in her chair as he disappeared down the wooden stairs. _This should be interesting._

**A/N**: Yes, yes. Bella actually has little shame, although she pretends to be proud and dignified. She's just kidding herself. Also… er… well I'm tired.


	20. Chapter 20: Gauntlets

Chapter 20

**A/N**: So, yes, it took me a while to get this one pumped out. Shame. Part of it was due to sickness, another part due to trudging through a less then interesting chapter, and the final part being due to turning my attention to some of my original fiction. However, sometimes those boring passages must be included to move things along. Although I have been writing stories since I could spell, I still have yet to master seamless transitions and plot flow. Not everyone has natural talent - I'm one of those people who has to actually work REALLY hard at writing something tolerable.

**Chapter 20: **_**Gauntlets**_

"I see," there was a clinking of a teacup meeting its saucer, "so you came to me to get it straight. I don't know that you should be snooping into his past, though. He can be a little… sensitive about the topic."

"He isn't right here, now, is he?"

Bella and Woltar sat comfortably within Woltar's well-furnished home. Facing each other, they talked over tea. Actually, Bella declined the offer of tea and sat with a glass of water before her. Nonetheless, the air was somewhat casual between them.

"Since he does stay with me, as this was his second home when he was a boy, he could be lurking anywhere. His ears can be as sharp as his blade if it concerns him," Woltar responded. Bella sat back, resting her hands in her lap.

"I understand. I won't pry any further on that score. The stories I heard about it were so varied, I didn't know where to believe. The only thing that stayed the same was that he lost his father when he lost his hand. It's a lot to lose all at once, and I can not compare. Quite a few said it was the dragons to blame. Is that why you found it so amusing that I have such a partiality to dragons?" Bella explained, replaying some of the more outlandish rumours she had heard in the tavern. Woltar lifted his teacup again, but spoke before taking another sip.

"I am one who can appreciate irony when I see it," Woltar responded, then took a sip. Bella leaned forward and took her glass of water. "I am glad that you brought him back safely, though. He may have the loyalty of the Black Brigade more or less, but his arrogance has cost him many more enemies than allies."

"I can believe it. I doubt I have many admirers myself, but I lack his… notoriety. I prefer it that way. I don't need the praise of many," Bella responded, finishing her water and setting the glass down.

"Is that the only reason you came to see me?" Woltar asked. Bella shook her head.

"No. I wanted to ask you a few questions. Fort example, why did you let me off so easily? I doubt the crowding of the dungeon was really your reason. Moreover, why did you speak with me yourself? It seems so lowly for a person of your position," Bella asked. Woltar smiled.

"When I heard about the break, I was fairly curious. People fail to escape all of the time, and some have gotten further than you did. None of our prisoners have ever breathed fire before,"

"But I explained that I wasn't actually breathing fire!"

"Yes, you did. I had a similar assumption even before you confirmed, but the rumour nonetheless drew my attention," Woltar said slowly. "As for giving you the opportunity to serve your time by tending the dragons, it was an idea inspired at the moment. I do not often act on such impulses, and prefer to think things carefully through. However, although you escaped before being released, I have no regrets. You helped to win a favor from Crosell, and could not have done that from here. Perhaps they could have done so without your help, but we will never know, now, will we?"

"Even if I did help, I'm surprised you let me into your home and take the time to speak with me. I am sure you have a lot of pressing matters to attend to," Bella said conversationally.

"That is true. There are things I could be better putting my time to. If there is anything else you'd like to say, or ask me, I am sure I have the time for one more response," Woltar said, setting down his teacup.

"As much as I have… vexed Albel up to this point, I have no intention of withdrawing yet. So you will probably see, if not hear, more of me," Bella said, rising to her feet. Woltar also stood up politely.

"I'm sure that I will. Why are you so persistent on him, if I may ask?" Woltar lifted his heavy eyebrows at her. Something in his countenance told her he was looking for a confirmation of his own ideas, rather than clueless curiosity. Bella smiled sweetly at him.

"He's proud, ruthless, and very strong. I like that in a man. What's more, he doesn't like me - I wouldn't be able to tolerate anyone who took a quick fancy to me," Bella said, her smile shifting into an impish grin. Woltar just gave another bow of his head, hiding his response behind his general expression of age-old wisdom.

"Just be careful," Woltar warned, and then gestured for her to proceed to head out of the room, and eventually, out of his mansion. Bella nodded to him, saying nothing more. She took her leave of him, heading back out into the streets of Kirlsa. There were stills things she needed to do. Albel could wait.

Bella stood at the gates of Kirlsa. Ahead of her lay the mountainous path that led to Airyglyph. She was not looking forward to travelling into snowy climates, but she had some business to settle. Mainly, checking in on Lias' progress. She looked down at her clawed gauntlets. They were wearing down, and had gotten uncomfortably bent out of shape. She hoped fervently that he had them finished, or almost finished. He did claim to be able to finish it before a week. As for the matter of the twenty per cent bonus she promised him if he completed it early, she was confident that she could rustle up another two hundred fol. Between what the bandits had in their money pouch, and selling what other loot and equipment they had, she'd managed to raise one thousand more fol. With plans on getting the additional two hundred cycling through her mind, she squared her shoulders, and set out.

The trip to Airyglyph city, although cold, was uneventful. This actually disappointed Bella, as she'd hoped to find more bandits. She'd also counted on being able to spot some game with a decent hide to sell. She had not such luck. Thus, she arrived at Airyglyph quite disgruntled. She knew she wouldn't be in this predicament if she hadn't dropped her previous money pouch during the flight to Aquios. There was enough to pay the bonus, and some money to spare. With a sigh, she trudged through the slush of the trodden main street. Perhaps she could make him believe he heard wrong, and that she offered only a ten per cent addition.

Bella walked confidently into the tavern. After looking around, she saw no sign of Lias. This didn't surprise her. She'd managed to catch him twice in a row. It was unlikely that, if he were to get the gauntlets done as soon as he had claimed, he could spend all of his time in the bar. Bella sat down for a drink and waited. The bar seemed even more deflated than her previous visit. Barely anyone was there. During the time she spent relaxing in the bar, the amount of patrons never seemed to exceed three at any given time - and that was including herself.

"Ah, Miss Bella," came a pleasant voice. Bella swiveled around on her stool to face Lias. She smiled, and stood up to greet him. "You are looking well."

"I am glad you finally showed up. I was unsure where else to find you," Bella responded, putting out her hand. Remembering back to when they first met, she realized that she had soaked up all social mannerisms very quickly - or perhaps, it was safe to say, they never left her. He took her hand, pausing a moment, as if unsure whether to shake her hand as she was a business partner, or kiss it, as was usually expected when showing politeness to a lady. He settled on a sheepish handshake.

"Ah, well, the workshop I use is at the southwest part of the city… no one really uses it anymore, so I have it pretty much to myself," Lias quickly explained. He clapped his hands together. "In fact, how about we go there and speak? The gauntlets are pretty much finished, I just need to make a few final adjustments, and you being here will make it much easier!"

"Alright, Lias, lead the way," Bella responded, gesturing towards the doll. He bobbed his head enthusiastically and turned to the exit, beckoning energetically with his hand for her to follow. One he was turned, Bella allowed her face to relax out of the smile she wore and followed him with the shake of her head. He certainly was looking forward to that twenty per cent bonus.

Bella followed Lias through the cold streets to the industrial part of town. While walking, Bella couldn't help but allow her thoughts to wander towards the challenge issued by Boaz. With a better weapon, she was confident that she could match whoever Boaz pitted her against. With the help of other remarkable individuals, she had taken down Crosell. There was no doubt in her mind that she could best any other dragon. Defeating a prestigious air dragon in solo combat would be proof of her strength. She needed this test, now, more than ever before. She tested herself with survival, but only had herself and the common town person to compare herself with. She'd been fighting discouragement since meeting Fayt and his comrades. However, this was a way she could prove to herself that she was, once and for all, as strong as she once believed.

"Right in here," Lias said, interrupting her thoughts. She nodded to him distantly, entering the spacious, yet cluttered, workshop. Lias spared no time to fetch the new gauntlets. Bella stared at them as he began to explain the sophisticated linking mechanisms for more control and easier movement at the wrist and fingers. He went on about durability, the quality of the metal used, and how he managed to make the claw portion of the gauntlets retractable without too much bulk, or pinching the skin on the knuckles. Bella only half listened as she stared at them. They were magnificent! Without a moment of hesitation, he bid her to try them on. She was thrilled to do so. It felt awkward at first, but he said he was making some final adjustments, and assured her it would fit better once he was finished.

"How long will these adjustments take…?" Bella asked as he took them from her. He set them down on a counter and thought for a moment.

"Oh… less than an hour. Here, why don't you have a seat here…" he said, quickly removing some papers and utensils from a stool, "…and I'll have it done in no time. It's nice and close to the forge, so it will warm you up. I can tell you aren't used to Airyglyph winters…"

"I'm slowly getting used to them…" Bella muttered as she sat down on the offered stool. He was right, it was really warm. However, it was also far enough away so she did not get too warm, too quickly. Bella let herself go back into deep thought. She'd never felt very anxious before, but for once, she could feel it tickle her gut. If she lost this fight, it would be the end of her life. It was the fight, she knew, she could endure losing her life to. It wasn't the possibility of death that stirred her so, but the anticipation of this moment she'd looked for. She honestly wanted a peaceful correspondence with the dragons, but that had become impossible. She killed their kind. She didn't imagine she would, but the urgency of the situation required it. Bella wondered if they would give her a fair fight, but then reminded herself that they were not humans; they were dragons. They were proud and arrogant, so such means would be beneath them. Pride, sometimes, worked strongly in her favor.

"Miss, they're done," a voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned to Lias, who held out the gauntlets. "Now, about the rest of the money?" he asked as she went to reach for them.

"Of course," Bella said absently, as she grabbed the money pouch that hung at her waste. Counting out the amount she promised, she set it down on the counter. She could tell his eyes were quickly doing math to make certain it was all there, then smiled. Bella was relieved that the bandits had a lot of money on them; otherwise she wouldn't be able to hold up her end of the bargain, and would have had to take the time to earn the money before she could get her new weapons.

"It was pleasure doing business with you. This should give me funding to pursue some of my original ideas…" he said, more to himself than to Bella. Taking the gauntlets, she forced her hand into it, and strapped it on snugly. She clenched her fist hair, forcing out the subtly-curved blades.

"Likewise…" Bella muttered, looking over her gauntlets more carefully now. All she needed to do, now, was to get someone to etch in some dragon runes for her. Although Bella prided herself on being practical, she did have a strong desire to have unnecessarily ornate items. She needed them to be unique to her. Calculating how much she had left to spend on such a service, she headed out into Airyglyph streets to find someone to etch at a reasonable price.


	21. Chapter 21: Dragons

Chapter 21

**A/N: I** like dragons! Bella does too! Yay! I like stating the obvious. I haven't eaten all day, and feel a bit lightheaded after writing this chapter. I'm just glad it's done. I can't vouch for it being particularly well written, and no proofreading has occurred. Woo… action… there will be action.

**Chapter 21:**_** Dragons**_

"Miss? The grounds of Lord Woltar's estate are open for public viewing, but his home is currently off limits to strangers."

"Inform Lord Woltar that Bella Lecross is here to see him," Bella said, standing within the front door of Woltar's fine estate. She waited for the servant to return with an invitation, or an apology. Either way, Bella was determined to speak with Woltar again.

"He is in his office, miss. He permits your company - but please do not keep him long. He is a busy man," the servant cautioned. Bella nodded primly to the servant, and followed her up the stairs to a hallway. The second door was motioned to her, and she quietly thanked the servant and knocked. In response, she heard Woltar's voice invite her in.

"I'm amazed you keep allowing me a word with you when you seem so busy," Bella said before Woltar could get more than a cordial greeting out. He cleared his throat, and simply gestured his hand to a chair. Bella took the seat, watching the old man at work at his desk, swamped with papers.

"The mind needs and engaging break every now and then," he responded. He set his hands down on the desk, setting aside his current project neatly. "It would be best, however, to keep things brief."

"Alright. I supposed I'll forego those human traditions of polite inquiries and discourse on the weather," Bella said, cocking her head to the side. Woltar patiently waited for her to speak as to the purpose of her visit. Bella cleared her throat and leaned back in her chair. "I stopped in on my way to the Mountains of Barr. I wanted to inquire as to Albel. I'm usually frank enough to ask him myself, but I somehow doubt he'd be in, or make himself readily available…"

"Albel? He's gone off somewhere. I have my theories, though, that the boy has set out to train in solitude. I can see his pride has taken some battery…" Woltar responded. Bella blinked.

"But he was wounded when I left…" Bella asserted.

"He's capable of surviving with a few injuries; I'm sure he's proven that thoroughly," Woltar responded calmly, a certain amused glint in his deep-set eyes. Bella frowned for a moment, but slowly nodded her head. Before Bella could respond, she heard his slow, rhythmic tones speak up. "I imagine, though, that he had a similar destination in mind…"

"Really? That's a surprise… then I'll seek him out. We have some unfinished business," Bella responded, rising to her feet. Woltar studied her with surreptitious amusement. Bella hesitated a moment. "Is there something… that amuses you?"

"Most of those who have unfinished business with Albel turn up dead… but I don't suppose your business is about vengeance or warrior pride," Woltar surmised. Bella nodded her head.

"It isn't an unfinished fight… but still a challenge to reissue…" Bella said cryptically. This seemed to satisfy Woltar, who held back the small urge to chuckle. "I should let you return to your affairs."

"Bring the boy as unscathed as one could hope for, in his circumstances," Woltar bid. Bella smiled and nodded again, before whisking out the door. Something told her that Woltar had a very good guess as to her intentions. Or, perhaps, Albel had actually mentioned something of the happenings in the pit trap. Either way, Bella preferred him guessing than her outright stating it. It made her all the more fond of him.

…

Once again, Bella arrived at the Mountains of Barr. This third time would be her true trial, but she looked forward to it. Her body tried to hold her back with the twittering of anxiety, but her resolve was stronger as she pressed onward. This time nothing would get in her way; not even the end of the world. She let that delay her last time, and it nearly earned her banishment from her goal. Confident that another such crisis would not present itself before her again, Bella stood at the base of the mountain, facing the narrow rocky passage that led further into dragon territory. She planted her feet firmly and lifted her face to the sky.

"BOAZ!" she called in a loud, clear tone. She heard her voice bounce off of the rocky surfaces until it faded into nothing. Silence ensued. Bella took a few more steps forward. "BOAZ, I HAVE COME FOR THE CHALLENGE!"

There was a tremulous hesitation before Bella took another step forward. Before her foot landed, she could feel shaking all around her. Loose rocks tumbled down the mountain sides. At first the rumbling was so low her human ears could not detect it, but soon enough it raised itself to her aural threshold. Bella stood firmly with her feet grounded and did not flinch or cower. Soon enough shadows swooped over her, and the magnificent form of an air dragon came spiraling down. Bella waited patiently, until the magnificent creature hovered above her, its neck extended to bring its large face close to her insignificant body.

"Maiden, you come back recklessly soon. No human could achieve enough improvement in a matter of days, or even weeks, to match the challenge I have chosen for you," Boaz said in a low, condescending tone. Bella's face remained firmly neutral.

"I have much to prove, and little time. If I fail, then you can mark me down as another foolish, impudent human. I will be too dead to feel sorry," Bella responded. Boaz regarded her with one yellow eye, and then withdrew his head, lifting it to the sky instead. He was quiet for a time.

"Alright, foolish child. You gamble your life to satiate your pride and instate your importance over men, like many others. Come to the lava caves; we will be waiting," he said grimly. Without another word, he shot back up into the sky, gliding further along the mountain until he was out of sight. Bella watched him the entire time, a hand over her brow. There was no turning back now; she issued the challenge. With this in mind, she made her way steadily to the lava caves. She personally was not looking forward to re-entering the choking, hot caverns, but that mattered little now.

When Bella entered the lava caves for the third time within the last month, there was only Boaz. At least, he was all that she could see immediately. He stood to the side of a pool of magma, waiting patiently. However, some noise caused her to look up; way up. Out of many orifices in the high cavern walls and ceiling were many air dragons, peering down at her with their keen eyes. Bella didn't wonder that they preferred the hot, enclosed atmosphere of the caverns; they weren't required to wear armor or clothes. However, Bella found it odd that both previous journeys through the lava caves did not yield any sign of dragons whatsoever. Encounters with them stopped the moment they entered, and instead they were faced with different and stranger monsters. However, now they all gathered, and looked right in place.

"This is the human who has expressed a desire to rise above the other vermin and be accepted by us. Speak your name, maiden," Boaz instructed. Bella rolled her shoulders and lifted her chin, responding in a loud, clear voice.

"Bella Lecross."

"Lecross. The evaluation of your worth will soon commence," Boaz said, flapping his wings and flying to a large boulder, jutting out from the ground. He peered down at her from her perch. Bella remained still and patient to receive further instruction. After a moment of still silence, another dragon sprang from its perch and made a spiraling descent to Bella. It was a magnificent female air dragon that landed before Bella. The pigmentation of her scales were not at all brilliant, and stood at an vague hue of greenish blue. However, she was larger than some of the steeds Bella had seen among the dragon brigade, but she was no titan among dragons. Her largeness was most noticeable in her hind haunches, which denoted the capability to make a powerful launch from the ground, and the ability to carry much weight in the clutches of her strong talons. She gave Bella an appraising look.

"Before you is the dragon you must tame by asserting your strength. Fail, and she will kill you," Boaz instructed. "Show respect, and bow, Lecross."

Bella quickly bowed before the dragon, who was to be her opponent. She was instructed to rise again and wait for the signal. Bella could see the muscles of the dragon before her tense. Bella clenched and released her fingers with anticipation. Finally, a bolt of fire shot past the both of them. Seeing the dragon leap into the air, she knew it was the signal. Bella's legs sprang into action, to seek cover; the dragon's chest was swelling. A sturdy stream of fire came tumbling down towards her. Bella jumped over a narrow stream of magma, diving behind the boulders that lay just beyond. Bella peeked out over the boulders, not seeing hide or tail of the dragon. A vague sound of air being rapidly displaced reached her ears, and she looked up to see the dragon descending upon her. Bella had little time to run before she was pinned down by one of the dragon's strong feet. Bella felt her chest being crushed with aptly applied force. Bella squirmed against the opposition. Just as she was about to slide out, the second foot came down on her, both being used to grip her. Bella was swooped up into the air, bewildered and disoriented by how rapidly she was losing.

Brilliant sparks began to fly from Bella's gauntlets, with increasing frequency. Soon enough, writhing lines of light crawled and tumbled up and down the metal, the runes she had etched in glowing ominously. She was very high in the air now, and knew she'd soon be dropped. Acting fact, she dug her claws into the resilient hide of the dragon's leg. She kept pushing until she finally felt some give, making a few small punctures. She channeled the magical lightning up the dragon's leg, causing it to creel in sudden pain. The flapping of the wings stopped, and the dragon's body twisted awkwardly. For a moment they were perfectly still, high up in the air, as moment rising caught up with the pull of gravity - and they fought. Finally gravity took its final pull, causing the dragon to begin plunging downward, head first. Air screamed past Bella's ears as the ground rushed towards her. She felt the grip on her weaken, but still was cradled among the talons. Moments before hitting the ground, the dragon regained her composure and spread her wings, giving a defiant flap, causing her to jerk upward. The opposing forces were violent, and Bella slipped from the talons, falling the rest of the way. She hit the ground with a hard thud, but the break in velocity caused her to land with less fatal results. Groaning, she rolled over.

WUMPH! Bella had just barely gotten to her feet, before a thick scaly tail caught her in the gut, sending her flying into a nearby boulder. Winded, Bella slumped to the ground. Bella imagined the amusement of all the dragons watching, at her failings thus far. However, she was not yet dead. As long as she was alive, she had a fighting chance to pull through. Although she knew it wouldn't be quite effective, Bella summoned up three fiery balls, and hurled them at the dragon. All three spread out, then gathered together right before impact. It made the dragon flinch only momentarily, but no pain could be discerned. However, although short, this stall was enough for Bella to seek cover behind the boulder she had been slammed into. There was aching all over her, and a strong feeling of nausea dwelling within. Bella held onto the boulder to steady herself. The Dragon was hovering above her, watching her carefully. There were several other large obstacles, giving Bella a lot of cover. She knew neither foot nor tail could fit in if she ducked and squeezed herself into a narrower space. The dragon knew this too, and patiently waited.

The battle appeared to reach a stalemate. Bella used the benefits of the inferior size of her body to the large bulk of the dragon she faced. The dragon could not reach her, but she could neither reach the dragon. Bella took this opportunity to catch her breath, trying to force a second wind upon herself. She wasn't going to die. She wasn't going to lose. She would prove to the dragons that she was worthy to be treated as equal among them. It was high time to show them her life's work.

Bella slid out from her cover. Instantly, the dragon came down towards her, this time head first. She knew the dragon meant to get her with razor-sharp teeth. Bella quickly rolled aside. Before the dragon could withdraw her head and strike again, Bella slashed out, cutting along the jaw and neck. This caused the dragon to leap back, letting out a grunt of pain and surprise at the sting she received. Bella did not hesitate. Two intricately designed circles, offsetting each other, glowed in front of Bella's face. Within seconds, as the Dragon regained her composure and prepared to attack again, twin streams poured from the magic runes. Licks of brilliant orange fire were seen among a sturdy purple smoke, both catching the advancing dragon. With a loud shriek, the dragon stopped in her tracks, as the spray continue to course over her. Finally, the dragon fell, causing a mild tremor. Bella steadied herself, as the orange and purple faded away into nothingness. She could see two golden eyes leering at her from the prone dragon. Various muscles twitched as she lay there, grudging the paralysis Bella had caused her. Before Bella could advance on her, Boaz landed between the two of them.

"Enough!" Boaz said. There was silence. Slowly, from behind Boaz, the female dragon seemed to have already recovered, raising her head, but otherwise remaining on the ground. Boaz regarded Bella silently for a moment. "Although a narrow window, you could have finished your opponent while she was prone. You survived her continuous onslaughts, and demonstrated some wit to you, human." Boaz craned his neck to look behind him at the fallen dragon. He was silent, and then returned his gaze to Bella. "I've never seen a human emulate the paralyzing dragon's breath. It is… interesting… although I am unsure whether to be impressed or gravely angered."

"I was surprised it worked… even if just for a short while…" Bella said. Boaz jerked his head closer to Bella.

"Not all dragons are immune; most are resistant. Do not believe that trick of yours will continue to be effective against us," Boaz cautioned. Bella just took a step back, and nodded. She was tired, sore, and uncertain whether or not her organs were all in their correct locations anymore. Boaz gave a flick of his tail and took a few steps back. There was a vague hum of noise far above her head, beyond her ability to discern.

"I understand…" Bella finally said, after a moment of awkward silence. She felt as though she ought to be swelling with pride. While she could feel swelling, it wasn't the joyful sort. Instead she just felt uncertain, and there was a tingling in some of her extremities.

"You have proven yourself. As proof of this, Sashua, your opponent, will be your loyal companion. She has been humbled, and her life is now yours; but do not be disillusioned that any disrespect of her will be sanctioned," Boaz said warily. He paused a moment, staring down at Bella. "Although, I've come to understand, you would do no such thing… frail human."

"Yes…" Bella muttered. For a moment she didn't feel the heat, but it suddenly rushed back to her. It was overpowering even. Yet, she felt some chills. Her vision tunneled on Boaz, who stood silently with a critical eye on her. His head turned away, and she was certain he was saying something. She was also certain he wasn't upside down before. After one last attempt to regain her composure, Bella fell into black unconsciousness.


	22. Chapter 22: Return

A/N: Get ready for another dream sequence

**A/N**: Get ready for another dream sequence. What's with me and dream sequences? I love dreams, and dream symbology. Actually, I've recently began studying methods of dream analysis. This is a REALLY long dream sequence, though. I'm just having some fun.

Chapter 22: _Return_

The darkness took shape, extending itself into a hallway. At the very end was the flickering amber flicker of distant fire. Along the nondescript walls were torches, which sequentially began to ignite. Finally, the area immediately surrounding was dimly lit the last, most proximal torches burned. The firelight glinted off of a brass throne, with a dragon motif. Lying protectively, and smugly, on the maroon cushion of the throne, was a badger like beast. The light far ahead was alluring, and one could not help but turn around and begin to head through the stretching corridor. Finally, the end was found, leading out into a balcony. Beyond the railing was a landscape of fire and quartz. To the west, the sun was setting, adding all the more to the golden hues of the scene. Untouched by the fire, was one apple tree close to the balcony.

Bella stood motionless on the balcony for some time. She could hear the ticking away of a clock, and turned to her right to see it perched there. Leaning against the grandfather style clock was a crude spear. To her left was a pair of red boots. Bella walked over to the boots and put them on, then headed to the clock. The hands began to move more rapidly. She could see her reflection in the face of the clock, seeing bright displays of red and dark green painted on her cheeks. Her midriff was bare. Above her, a falcon circled. Upon notice of it, her vision tunneled to focus on its beak. It swooped down to her, showering her with acorns. She put out her hands to catch some, and immediately cracked them open to devour them. Examining her hands, she was suddenly aware that they were bleeding. In spite of this, Bella returned to the clock and grabbed up the spear, and glanced down to the maze of quartz and fire beneath her.

Limping amidst the jutting pillars of quartz was a dark gray wolf with antlers. There was no evident injury, but nonetheless walked as though lame in one of its front legs. Bella hopped over the railing, free falling from the lofty balcony. She landed in front of the wolf, which turned and growled a challenge. Accepting, Bella readied her spear, which had her own blood running down to the pointed tip. With one decisive strike, she slew the wolf. She kneeled down and removed the antlers. By now her arms had started breaking out into bleeding sores. Out of the wolf's fatal wound, a young wolf cub emerged, bearing a rolled up piece parchment and quill in its mouth. Bella picked it up and unrolled it. Her blood ran down the paper, spelling out "I Promise". Bella took the quill and signed her name. Immediately, the contract folded itself up and disappeared. Bella looked down at the dead wolf, and already it was covered in maggots, and they were slowly making their way towards her, following the steady stream of blood that flowed from her spontaneous cuts.

"Hey! Wake up! Come on…" brought Bella out of her dreaming state. She became aware that what she heard in the dream as the crackling of fire, was actually the noise of people moving about her. Bella let out a plaintive groan and slowly opened her eyes. The face that greeted her transition back to reality was not one she had expected. She blinked a few times, almost expecting it to change to someone else. However, the face remained the same.

"Cliff?"

Bella sat among a mixture of familiar and unfamiliar faces, filled with bewilderment. Next to her was Cliff and a girl she could not recognize. Standing close by, also, was Fayt, while Maria and yet another unfamiliar, although bizarre looking, girl were a few feet away. Bella blinked and sat up, although one of the strangers quietly tried to tell her to take it easy.

"What are you doing here? I thought you went back to the stars…" Bella asked, feeling a sure headache forming. Cliff stood up and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well, circumstances led us back to this hunk o'… er… planet," Cliff said, sounding less than enthusiastic about being back. He shook his head. "But what can you do?"

"Well… even if you returned to this world, why are you _here_?" Bella questioned.

"Oh that? Just our luck… we were just on our way to Arias, minding our own business, when can you believe it, a dragon swoops down out of nowhere and snags up Fayt and Sophia here and flies off! So we chased it," Cliff explained briefly. Bella took in a deep breath, although her ribs still felt sore from being tossed around like a rag doll.

"Sophia?" Bella asked. At that moment Fayt jumped in, getting over the mild embarrassment of being whisked off like a damsel in distress.

"Oh, uh, Bella, this is Sophia," he said, motioning to the brown-haired girl that was knelt beside her. "Er, Sophia… this is Bella." Sophia extended a hand to Bella, which she stared at, then gingerly shook. After a pause, he turned slightly to a dark skinned girl who was short in stature. "Oh, and this is Peppita."

"That's me! Peppita Rosetti! Pleased too meet'cha," chirped the brightly dressed child. She walked over, two long pieces of cloth swaying behind her with every movement. She rocked on her heels while looking down at Bella, giving her an appraising look. Bella just grumbled and shook her head.

"Wait… a dragon brought you here? You didn't kill it, did you?" Bella suddenly asked, something unusually frantic in her voice. Fayt shook his head.

"No, didn't really get a chance. It flew into some tunnel higher up in the mountain that led directly here, bypassing the ruins. Then it just dropped Sophia and I right next to you, and flew back up into one of those tunnels," Fayt explained, seeming perplexed by the whole affair.

"Tch, yeah, wouldn't been nice to know there was a shortcut earlier," Cliff murmured. Fayt cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Even if we knew about it, HOW would we have reached it?" Fayt asked. Cliff just gave a shrug and a quick look of disinterest, rather than get into another round of banter. Fayt cleared his throat and looked back at Bella. "Anyway, since you helped us with Crosell, I couldn't just leave you here, so I waited for everyone else to arrive, while Sophia did what she could to help."

Sophia gave a somewhat timid nod of her head. Bella examined her carefully, her eyes getting drawn to the staff kept on her back. The girl did not appear a fighter, but the staff sometimes was a symbol of either a magic caster, or pacifism. Considering the group she was travelling with, Bella eliminated the latter. Bella muttered ungracious thanks and got onto her feet. There was a distinct sound of flapping above them, causing Bella to look up. Others followed.

"Oh great, it's back…" murmured Fayt. A lot of movement and energy erupted in Bella's peripheral vision, causing her to turn and look. The child, introduced as Peppita, had her fists balled, and was taking an aggressive stance.

"I'll get it this time; just leave it to me!" she called out with enthusiasm. Bella frowned, and shook her head.

"You'll do no such thing…" Bella reprimanded. Peppita paused, lowering her fists and turning to stare at Bella curiously. She noticed the others getting ready for a fight as well, and she sighed. Speaking louder to be heard, Bella relayed, "That is Sashua. Put down your weapons."

Most of the others hesitated, but lowered their weapons, or fists as the case may be, and turned their attention to Bella. "Who is Sashua?" Fayt asked.

"She is my conquest, and my new companion," Bella responded, a mixture of pride and reverence in her voice. Fayt put out a hand, signaling the rest to cease hostility. The dragon landed a couple meters away. "She probably remembered you from when we were cooperating, and brought you here for my sake."

"She?" Cliff parroted. "How can you tell the difference?" After Bella fixed him with a silent glare, he glanced back at the dragon. "On second thought, I'd rather not know."

Fearlessly, Peppita approached Sashua, looking her up and down, before turning to Bella, "Wow, she'd be great in one of my acts."

"…Please show some respect," Bella said after an awkward pause. Bella walked over, putting a hand on Peppita and forcefully guiding her to go back to the rest of the group. "So, why don't you tell me what circumstances brought you back here."

"It's kind of complicated and far fetched…" Fayt began to say, his eyes wandering away. Cliff rubbed the back of his neck.

"We're really only here investigating… sort of," Cliff added helpfully. Bella shook her head at the vague responses. Her eyes slowly slid to a disconcerted Maria, who had maintained tight-lipped silence the entire time. Her stare lingered there, unnoticed, before she looked between Cliff and Bella. Sophia had found a rock to sit on, and Peppita was fidgeting.

"Investigating what?" Bella asked.

"Authenticity," Cliff responded with a sage nod. Bella stared at him. Bella had a hard time seeing past the large brawny sort of stereo type, and recognizing the intelligence that lay hidden therein. He usually didn't conduct himself with much intellect or refinement, and his speech was often slangy. So when a long string of syllables that were one word came out of his mouth, she could not help but stare at him. He caught this stare and cocked an eyebrow. "What?

"Nothing," Bella quickly said. She turned to Fayt, imploringly. "What do you need to authenticate?"

"Well, to make sure here is really here, and everyone is really who they are… as confusing as that sounds," Fayt said sheepishly, failing to grasp at a better explanation. Bella continued to stare at him, lifting her chin to signal him to continue, or at least try again. Impatiently, Maria finally interceded.

"We were told that this world, and everyone in it, including ourselves, is just some simulation! Just some game!" Maria said severely. Bella whipped her head around to stare at her, appreciating the bluntness. "There is another world outside of this one that created us for entertainment! We're all just programs!"

"…Programs? Simulation? I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about, but I appreciate your straightforwardness, rather than meandering and stumbling over your words…" Bella gave a pointed glance at Fayt and Cliff, before turning to fully face Maria. "But if you are saying that someone created us and watches over us for amusement, I wouldn't doubt it."

"It doesn't bother you? I suppose not understand games or programs would make it hard for you to realize the full situation," Fayt responded. Bella shook her head.

"It wouldn't bother me if you told me everyone was a puppet, and someone was pulling the strings; that is what I think you are getting at. As much as I value and take pride in the hard work I put forward to be unique and a cut above the rest, hearing that someone might have had a hand in it doesn't bother me. It's existential nonsense and has no relevance to me or my plans," Bella responded haughtily. Maria shook her head disdainfully.

"You don't get it, do you? We are all just data," Maria repeated discontentedly.

Bella shook her head at Maria. "Maybe I don't get it, but if it's bothering YOU so much, I think I'd rather not understand. It doesn't matter what makes the world, and causes it to progress, as long as it continues to do so," Bella responded, giving a complacent shrug.

"Well, the creator has decided to NOT let it continue. There are strong beings out there, who call themselves Executioners, destroying worlds, with the intent of complete annihilation," Maria responded rigidly. Bella stared at her, then the others for confirmation. They nodded her head. Bella glanced back at Maria.

"Oh… so the end of the world again? Well, what are you wasting your time talking to me for? Go deal with it," Bella responded, making shooing gestures at them. Maria fell into a silent stupor at her carelessness, while Fayt and Sophia looked to each other. Cliff shook his head, and Peppita found a shiny rock to take up her attention.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence… I guess…" muttered Fayt when he glanced back at Bella.

"Miss Bella, I don't think you appreciate the severity of the situation! Everything you know and love is just going to end," Sophia finally spoke up. Bella nodded slowly. This could ruin her plans, but she could face obliteration somewhat happily, knowing she had finally worked her way into the company of dragons. Her goal was not yet complete, though. "We don't even know if we CAN do anything about it, yet."

"Look, you know that I, and this place, is real. That is what you came to confirm isn't it? Whether or not I wail and weep over the end of the world won't change anything. You obviously have been privileged to receive this information, because something or someone believes you may be able to do something about it. Or perhaps you just overheard, and have no relevance to any of this, and will just have to submit to your demise like the rest of us," Bella said grimly.

"I thought you had more fighting spirit than to just roll over and let this happen," Fayt challenged. Bella rose a hand to her head, feeling the onset of a headache again.

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Bella asked plainly. There was some silence.

"You could come with us. We don't know what or how, but we will fight this, and we could use all of the help we can get," Fayt finally said. Bella stared at him, slowly raising one eyebrow.

"I'm flattered," Bella responded. She turned towards Sashua, who had been patiently listening to the entire conversation. She stared for a moment, hearing some vague whispering behind her back. She imagined it was someone scolding Fayt, or asking if he were out of his mind to ask her along. "However, I decline." She could feel all eyes shoot to her back. "Even though my power has increased significantly with the aid of Sashua, and therefor would be very useful, there are simply more selfish things on my mind than saving the world. We all must die…" Bella slowly turned around. "…some sooner than others. I don't have a large life expectancy. Very few of my ancestors from my mother's side made it to fifty. I owe it to my father for strength and durability… but I don't know how long it will last. I have four dead siblings who didn't make it to adulthood. I've fought to survive this long. Do you know what dragons have other than dominion and power? Long lives…. They are almost immortal."

There was a long pause as the small group digested Bella's words. Finally Cliff took a step towards her. "So, in other words, you're just too scared."

"You don't want to die," Maria agreed in an accusing tone. Bella slid a gaze between the both of them. She sighed, putting her horned circlet back on. Peppita stamped her foot, looking up defiantly at Bella.

"Back on Moonbase, Fayt explained that we aren't going there to die; we're going there to live! You won't die! We'll all fight, and we will win, and be heroes!" Peppita proclaimed. Bella stared down at the girl, somewhat disturbed by her vigor. She also wondered what 'Moonbase' was.

"I have no need for the romance of being a hero…" Bella said, although there was some uncertainty in her voice. Previously, she admired their heroic nature, but currently, she seemed to have hardened her heart towards it. This was how it should be. She had let herself become soft on her previous expedition with them. "Admittedly, I believe you are can save the world, and that would make your heroes. I simply want to…" Bella trailed off. There was an awkward silence as they waited for her to finish her sentence. "…strengthen my bloodline."

"Wha…?" was a bewildered sound from Peppita.

"I think she's saying she wants to settle down and have a family - she just doesn't want to sound domesticated," Cliff added. Bella gave him a poisonous glare. She KNEW he was eavesdropping on that conversation with her mother. The way he looked at her, she could tell he wasn't just making a clever guess. Fayt just stared at her in disbelief, as the news was quite contrary to his perception of her.

"Something like that. If you can't save the world, I have no future. That won't stop me from working towards my future. Traipsing off to wherever you are headed will result in missed opportunities. Most girls are married off when they are ten years younger than I am. So I am staying here, and hoping for your success," Bella said firmly, trying to wring the abashment out of her voice.

"How old are you?" Peppita asked with innocent curiosity.

"I am not yet twenty and eight," Bella responded dryly. This resulted in not one, but a few blank stares.

"She's twenty-seven," Maria concluded.

"Oh, you're only as old as Mirage. I don't know what you're so worried about," Cliff said, waving dismissively.

"And how long does a…uh… clod live?" Bella asked sharply.

"Wh-at? Hey, that's KLAUSIAN!" Cliff corrected indignantly.

"…Right." Effective pause. "If my father's blood doesn't sustain me, I can only expect eighteen to twenty more years to live. I doubt I'll live to see any child of mine reach adulthood, unless I get married and conceive VERY soon; I've already been rejected on accounts of marriage."_ But I won't be rejected again, even if I have to commit shameful acts to do it._ "If I have more of my father's traits than I thought, I could live longer. Maybe. My mother will probably be dead in two or three years. I'm surprised she lived this long. She has been holding out, hoping for a grandchild, no doubt. So there you have it. I'd rather chase men than save the world. Now go away," Bella said firmly, the whole topic putting her into a poor mood. She had pushed her short life expectancy out of her mind, and preoccupied it with dragons instead. However, the dream she had, staring at that clock, it brought it all back to her_. Time is running out._

"I'm…" Fayt trailed off, trying to find a word to express himself.

"Astonished?" chipped in Cliff helpfully. Fayt nodded his head.

"Yeah… alright, we won't press it any further. I just thought you a bit of hermit… so this is… well, anyway, good luck," Fayt said, struggling through words, trying not to say anything tactless. Bella had been fair, and not overly aggressive, but he didn't want to take chances at provoking her too much, especially with a dragon backing her up.

"Let's not waste anymore time here," Maria said, quickly turning towards the exit.

"Yeah… let's go…" Fayt said uneasily. Peppita gave a large wave and trotted on out after Maria. Cliff offered a sigh and a shrug, turning to go. Fayt lingered a little, as did Sophia. Sophia was wearing a ponderous expression. Distractedly, she finally stood up and latched onto Fayt's arm, and the both of them left. Bella released a long sigh, somewhat angry with herself for giving them too much information. She wasn't sure why, but something about Fayt made her say more than she intended.

"I am glad you put and end to that nonsense…" spoke a low, husky, but still feminine voice. Bella looked over her shoulder at Sashua, having almost forgot her steady presence during the thick of the encounter.

"Sashua… so you do speak…" Bella said absently. Sashua arched her neck, seeming somewhat affronted. She shifted slightly in her rested position.

"I do not speak to those unworthy to speak to," she responded arrogantly. Bella slowly walked over to Sashua, putting a hand on her neck. She slid her hand along the direction of the scales, letting her hand glide so smoothly along her companion.

"Yes. I understand. I do believe our world could be ending, but it does not matter. I have my path, and I will take no more detours," Bella said as she leaned her forehead into the collarbone of the majestic creature.

"Dragons have outlasted many ends and beginnings. We fear not absolute destruction. If it the wisdom of a greater being that life ought to no longer exist, then so be it," Sashua said, narrowing her gold-flecked eyes. Bella drew in a big sigh, turning her head so that her ear was against the smooth hide. She could hear the enormous labor of Sashua's heartbeat. It was slow, calming.

"You don't think less of me… for the things that I revealed… do you?" Bella inquired, looking up to Sashua's raised head imploringly.

"No. If you truly have the disadvantage of weak blood, then you are doing remarkably well. Our fight was very close, and only your ingenuity won you the battle; not your strength. Still, you have earned my respect. The desire to choose a strong mate, rather than fall to the strange human ideal of love or physical appearance, is wise. You are thinking of the life of a child who has yet to be born. It is more than most humans do…" Sashua said in a calm, stoic tone. Bella smiled as she listened, absorbing every word of praise with extreme satisfaction. Sensing this, Sashua added, "You are still susceptible to the faults of mankind, such as comparing yourself with others. You are also still small and breakable…" Bella took a step back and just stared at Sashua. However, she could not deny either points. Bella didn't mind. The praise received could outweigh just about any criticism. Content, she sat down by Sashua's feet to rest some more. "…and you let praise get to your head."


	23. Chapter 23: Heat

Chapter 23:

**A/N**: I really /really/ suck at keeping canon characters IC. I really do. I kept having to change dialogue, and nothing, NOTHING, seemed quite accurate. However, if I don't update soon, I probably won't for another several months. So I just have to accept my shortcoming, and plough through (because I am determined to finish this).

**Chapter 23: **_**Heat**_

After a rest of both mind and body, Bella got onto her feet. She had a sudden realization that the heat didn't seem to bother her quite so much anymore. She did still, however, feel grimy. She wondered how Cliff and Fayt, or the rest of the group, could have tolerated being near her. She imagined she had a horrible stench from the amount of sweat trapped in her blouse, unable to pass through the leather armor she wore overtop. She could feel how oily her bangs had gotten, as some strands stuck to her clammy face. Their concern for her must have overridden their olfactory senses.

"Sashua… are there any springs nearby?" Bella called. Sashua had since flown up to rest on a lofty ledge. For this reason, Bella was unsure whether she was heard as silence followed. She took a deep breath to try calling again - louder - but was met with movement instead. Sashua leapt off of her ledge and descended quickly. She landed in front of Bella, kneeling down.

"I'll take you to one," she volunteered. With a sigh of relief, Bella climbed onto her bare back. She wrapped her arms around Sashua's neck as she lifted into the air. "Keep low," she instructed. Bella did so, flattening her body against Sashua's back. Even in the hot muggy air, she felt coolness as the air rushed past her weeping skin. It was very welcome, and a small laugh pried its way past Bella's defenses. Realizing there was no harm in expressing the glee riding upon Sashua's back. What prompted this jubilation was that she knew Sashua was hers, and hers alone. Of course, laughter was the extent of celebration Bella allowed herself. She still had a difficult task before her.

Sashua quietly landed by a boiling pool of water, closely hugging the contours of a mountainous wall. Part of the spring was shaded by an overhang, which eventually lead to a cave. Bella slid off of her mount and wasted no time in attacking various buckles and buttons with fervor. Within moments she stripped off every last garment, and slid into the hot water. She cringed a little at first, letting out a slight whimper. It was a little hotter than she could at first stand, but she quickly developed a tolerance. The soreness in her muscles developed more than a tolerance, but rather a fondness for the heat. Sashua looked critically at the strewn clothes that lay in disarray around the site.

"I do not envy the human need to cover their bodies with such… hindrances," Sashua said. Bella languidly glanced over at Sashua.

"It's one thing I could not forsake… clothes," Bella remarked truthfully. Sashua dipped her tail in the water, and cocked her head at Bella.

"Why is that?" she asked in earnest curiosity, and not as a rhetorical reprimand. Bella yawned and shifted a little, lowering herself so that her shoulders were submerged too.

"No matter what I've done to get some calluses and toughen my hide, it will still just be too fragile. Even some of the lighter materials offer some protection from the elements… and I simply could not feel comfortable sitting my bare bottom down on just ANY surface. I could maybe tolerate being topless… just maybe," Bella said. She smiled devilishly. "By then they may truly believe I have gone wild…"

"Would that be so bad?" Sashua asked. Bella dunked her head, quickly resurfacing. She gathered her hair and got to scrub out the oil and grime.

"It would be detrimental to my plan to marry and have children. I wouldn't be so concerned over the detail of marriage if I hadn't made a promise to my mother. I do my best to maintain some integrity," Bella responded. She searched around for a rough, porous rock.

"I understand. Besides, if you were to bare a child on your own, and were estranged from human society, there would be no one to care for your child if you died prematurely," Sashua responded gravely. Bella shook her head, causing heavy, wet locks to whip around her head and shoulders.

"Oh, I don't know about that. If he could just make it to Sanmite, there might be someone willing to take in an orphaned human child, if he were young enough," Bella responded. Finding a lava rock, filled with air pockets, she used it to scrub at the soles of her feet. "Would it be bold of me to suggest you've had a whelp or two?"

"It is a bold guess, but also a correct one," Sashua responded. Bella nodded, satisfied with the confirmation. The conversation simmered to silence while Bella finished getting herself clean. Bella stepped out of the spring, wringing her hair. With nothing to towel herself off of, she paced in the afternoon sun instead, shaking off what she could. Finally, she forced on her old, dirty clothes, and re-equipped her armor and gauntlets.

"Let's head back to the lava caves. I wanted to slip into Crosell's chambers before heading back to civilization."

…

Bella slid off of Sashua in front of the great doors that led into Crosell's domain. She hesitated a moment, before approaching. The door was already open large enough for someone slender to slip through. Bella stuck her head through, peering across the vast chamber to where she expected to see Crosell perched. Instead, there was nothing. This came to her as a surprise, which she expressed openly. "He isn't there!"

"Even great elderly dragons like himself need to eat," Sashua remarked. Bella ducked her head back out and glanced at Sashua, a look of bewilderment.

"A dragon as large as him would be hard to miss if he flew out of these caves…" Bella responded, wondering how /she/ could have missed him at any given time.

"We all have our preferred passages. He does a fair amount of his hunting in the sea, since it can harbor some of the largest prey. An additional reason is that it is very far from any civilization," Sashua responded. Bella thought on a moment, imagining the great Marquis gliding over the vast open, each flap of his wings causing disrupting ripples and waves on the azure surface beneath. Then, she saw a large marine mammal break to the surface in need of air, only to get snatched up out of its element to be devoured. "Of course, he doesn't need to hunt frequently."

"I wouldn't imagine so. I mean him no disrespect, but if he spends much of his time slumbering, cooped up in this chamber, then he can't possibly exert himself enough to expend the energy and work up an appetite. Also… I do understand most carnivores, dragons included, don't require food as often… since meat seems to sustain people longer…" Bella thought out loud. Sashua bobbed her head.

"What was it you wanted to see him for?" Sashua inquired. "From what I gathered, you and the others' last expedition here was to acquire his assistance in a calamity. Since you refused to aid the others in their mission, I don't imagine you are returning to petition that he assist them again," asked Sashua. Bella crossed her arms over her chest, about to make a response when she was suddenly aware of the distant echo of footsteps. She held her breath, and listened very carefully. There definitely was some sort of commotion, and it was unmistakably from a humanoid.

"Do you hear that?" Bella whispered. Sashua simply nodded her head in response. Bella waited a moment, gazing imploringly at Sashua. "Well…?"

"There is a human in the chamber," Sashua concluded in a passive tone. Bella peered back at the door. At a first glance she didn't see anyone, but her field of vision was as narrow as the gap between the doors. It made sense, now that she thought about it. Who else would have opened the door just that much? She at first thought it may not have ever gotten closed from their last visit, but at that moment it seemed a ridiculous assumption. "I'm going in…"

"I'll wait out here. If the situation warrants my assistance, I'll join you," Sashua responded, hopping up onto a nearby boulder, and curling her tail around it. She found a small groove between rocks to nestle her head in, and seemed comfortable, although Bella found her awkward position to look quite the contrary.

Bella slipped through the narrow opening and strode into the large room. Clanking of metal caught her attention, forcing her to look to the far left of the platform Crosell usually rested upon. Sure enough, there was the glint of a long blade and the settling of two long chords of bound hair. Without hesitation, Bella approached.

"Why train here, of all places?" Bella asked in a clear and concise tone, folding her arms. Although estranged from most human behaviours, Bella arched her eyebrow, and slanted her hips.

Albel stopped, straightening up very quickly. His long bangs clung to the contours of his narrow face, adhered by the perspiration he was drenched in. His eyes flashed with irritation. "Me? Training? That's preposterous."

"Is it?" Bella took a bold step forward. "You can hardly expect to maintain your title as the mightiest swordsman if you simply sat idle and waited for the next challenge," Bella chided. He lifted up the forearm of his gauntlet and let the hand fall on his hilt, resting there.

"Silence…" Albel growled. Bella could only smirk at him, parting her lips ever so slightly to bare her sharp teeth.

"I'm not criticizing you; you can stop being defensive," Bella responded coolly, in spite of the scorching temperature. "I was just merely stating that no matter how skilled you are, if you don't do some training, you will lose your touch. Then someone will whisk your title from you, and I can hardly imagine what that would do to your glass ego."

Albel stared hard at her for a moment. "Hmph…" came a short reply as he turned away, disgusted that she was right. There he stood in silence for a moment, and Bella added nothing more to the fire. Finally Bella could see him lift his chin. "Alright. I'm training. I'd ask what you are doing here, but I already know the answer."

"Yes, I imagine you do. I don't keep secrets, because there is nothing I am ashamed about," Bella responded. She took a few more steps, closing in the distance between them. "Although, I have my share of fears and regrets. They make me all the more determined to be as strong as I can be."

"…" Albel said nothing, and continued to face away. After a moment of silence, Bella ventured further.

"I have not changed my intentions, Albel. Just say yes," Bella said sternly. Albel finally glanced over his shoulder; his face forced to appear neutral. However, a mild twitch at the corner of his lips betrayed him somewhat.

"You are a persistent maggot…" he said, his voice without malice or hostility. It seemed unusually flat. Bella took a lurching step forward, wearing a frown. It wasn't that she was provoked, just exasperated.

"If I hear you call me a maggot one more time, I'll show you a maggot indeed! I'll start by gorging off of the many dead portions of your brain! Clearly your lack of creativity has atrophied most of your higher functioning!" uttered Bella, her patience for the unvaried insult that had been thrown at her. However, her state of mind may have also been triggered by the imagery of the maggots of her dream. Albel, on the other hand, miraculously maintained a calm stance. Perhaps, Bella could have caught a spark of amusement in her outburst. Or perhaps, it was a trick of the light. Either way, Bella did not flinch or apologize. One simply tires of the same words being used over and over again. It was a while before either party spoke or moved.

Perhaps the heat and strenuous training had made Albel dizzy and light headed. Or perhaps, he genuinely, could not summon up his usual wrath to make a threat, or strike the infidel down. Instead he finally let a smile cross his face, the corners of his lips turning up devilishly. Even a very short chuckle had escaped him, and Bella witnessed this unpredictable outcome. However, she was not entirely astonished. She knew there was a sense of humor lurking somewhere deep in that slender, arrogant man. "I'd like to see you try," finally came a nonchalant challenge.

"Yes, I am sure you would," came Bella's droll response. "Now that you are in a lighter mood… I seriously recommend that you take me up on my offer," Bella insisted, keeping her sights on her goal, like a falcon on its prey.

"…"

"This time it is a straightforward request. No threats, no coercion, or circumstances putting you at a disadvantage. You wouldn't be backing out of pure stubbornness of not being forced into anything," Bella stated.

"Remind me again why I should even consider it?" Albel responded, a somewhat troubled expression slowly forming on his face. It isn't the sort of situation any man expects to end up in. Perhaps a woman begging, but Bella was unlikely to drop to her knees and clasp her hands.

"Alright. You may want to sit down, because I have a long list of reasons," Bella said, the glow of confidence alight on her face.

"I'll stand," Albel replied shortly.

"Fine. Let's start with the practicalities. I've taken the opportunity to catch up in Kirlsa affairs, including the relationship between you and Woltar. He's getting on in age, and it would be my prediction that his estate and wealth would be bestowed upon you. I have heard neither hide nor hair of any living relations to you, either. Refuse to be married at all, and you would be destroying not just your bloodline, but Woltar's legacy as well," Bella explained, taking a lot of liberties. Albel listened with as much patience as he could muster. Having her speak so casually of these affairs as if she were a part of it all, and not some crazy dragon-worshipping hermit, caused a look of irritation to flickering in and out of his eyes.

"…"

"You could, of course, be heavily advised to enter a political marriage. Or, perhaps just get the pressure, if you haven't already, from Woltar, to just marry someone. Anyone. Perhaps a simple, stupid girl from Kirlsa, who will weep at the amount of time you spend away from the home. Maybe she'll get suspicious of infidelity, or in her loneliness, become disloyal in and of herself. Social and political disasters may ensue - no matter how hard you try to keep out of those messes. Unless you actually would settle down once married, and keep close to Kirlsa, and perhaps just train and drill troops at that nearby facility I heard about," Bella explained, setting up hypothetical situations that left Albel less than impressed.

"And you'd be a better choice because…?" Albel questioned dryly.

"I wouldn't care how long you stayed out or how much danger you put yourself in, as long as you did your duty as a husband and gave me a child. Not that I'd be opposed if spent more time at home than not." Albel shook his head with an incredulous expression.

"If all you care about is a child, then-"

"A strong, healthy child. A strong, healthy, _legitimate_ child," Bella interrupted, giving Albel a chastising glare, tossing in her voice at a heightened loudness to drown Albel's words out if he tried to finish his sentence. Returning to normal decibels, Bella continued. "I'm not seeking fame by perching myself on the arm of the best swordsman in the land. I'm not looking for money. I'm just very particular about who the father of my child will be. It _will_ be you. Unless… being a father scares you…" Bella added, her voice sounding out a blatant taunt. It caught Albel, who was beginning to turn away with disinterest.

"F-fool! I'm not afraid of anything…" he obstinately denied. Bella smiled, knowing the power of taunts on the arrogant. She knew sometimes, just sometimes, that they could be used against her, which is how she knew they were so effective.

"Prove it. Marry me," Bella said bluntly. This was more how she wished she could be, but she didn't have the talent for getting people to understand her in only a few words. She blamed her father for that portion of her personality. She also blamed the education she had access to before she left. Albel remained quiet for a moment. It was a great hindrance when people used reasoning. It meant he was given something to think deeply about, and when he retreated deep to his thoughts, there were certain nightmares that lay in wait. This resulted in some agitated body language, but still no outward aggression.

Bella felt strangely calm despite the suspense. It wasn't that she was confident that her offer could not be refused, it was simply that a refusal wouldn't hurt her. It would be an inconvenience. At least, that was how she reasoned with the lack of tension or anxiety over the moment. Even the sound of a clock ticking in the back of her head did little to irritate her. She leaned against a pillar and watched Albel wrestle with the options that lay before him.

Naturally, although calm, she did start to feel a little impatient. "Albel," she said, causing him to look up and over at her. "Thoughts are easiest to sort out when spoken. What makes it hard for you to make a decision? What makes you reluctant to accept or refuse? Talk it out."

"Would you just shut up and let me think?" Albel snapped before really listening to what Bella was saying. After a moment of silence he shook his head. "I'm quite sure your incessant rambling will eventually end with the removal of your tongue."

"Point taken," Bella responded dryly. Bella had more to say, but she honestly did not want to sabotage her own objective. So instead she remained leaning against the pillar, quietly waiting. She didn't expect Albel to bear his soul to her, but at least give her reasons for his opposition to the idea. She gave him many reasons. Sometimes she wondered if he were honestly listening to most of them, or just retreating to fantasies of violence.

"You are infuriating," Albel finally said after a long pause. Bella raised her eyebrows, and gave a slight nod of her head, as if telling him to 'go on'. "You bring an offer that most men couldn't refuse, if they weren't idealistic fools for sentimental nonsense," Albel paused again, glancing at his outstretched gauntlet, trying to think of words, and where to proceed from where he had arrived at. "It's an insult to think I'm as easy to manipulate like those simple minded worms…"

"Whose manipulating? I'm reasoning; there is a difference," Bella responded.

"SILENCE!" Albel barked. Not hearing another word from Bella, Albel continued to try and relay his thoughts on her proposal. "First you tried to coerce me. Now you bait me. I do not need to prove myself to you. You are lucky to still be alive. And yet…"

"And yet…?" Bella repeated. Albel gave her one of his most sour scowls.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Albel snapped. He took a couple steps towards her. "If you can't keep that jaw shut, I'll break it," he said, reaching out his functional arm and seizing her chin roughly. He examined her face. She said nothing. However, she didn't show fear. If one does not show fear, they usual display a determined look of defiance. Yet, this did not appear on her face either. Instead she seemed to smile in her eyes. It was a dancing, mocking smile. It wasn't cruel amusement either. It was hard to say just what it was that showed in her eyes, other than possibly mild insanity. Or, perhaps, she was over compensating in not trying to pull a face that would ruin the seriousness of the conversation. Albel had been training hard, within a volcanic cavern. These kinds of conditions cause perspiration, which leads to strong body odor.

"It would make everything so much simpler if I just killed you," Albel said. He paused, almost daring her to shoot off her comments. When she said nothing, he smiled. However, his grin did not last long as he continued. "What woman would forgive… no, you I doubt you were hurt to begin with to forgive anything… someone who prevented their escape, and then knocked them unconscious just for the fun of it? Furthermore, pursues the very same man, despite outbursts and threats, for a husband? I sometimes wonder if you are incapable of suffering… and that makes you insufferable." Albel released her chin, but let his hand trail down her neck, resting his thumb above her clavicle, aligned with her windpipe. He applied only the necessary pressure to let her know if she did anything to cross him, he could quickly silence her - forever. "Alright… speak, but choose your words carefully."

Bella took in a deep breath, her eyes rolling to the side for a moment, before drifting back to Albel's intense glare. "You're right. I haven't suffered, not nearly enough. Don't hold that against me because you - ggk" Bella received a short warning from his thumb, but it quickly released, giving her a chance to save face by changing what she was going to say. She took a few deep breaths, and swallowed hard before speaking again. "I have no tragedies in my life. I take a lot for granted. I'm not above admitting that. I only have suffering to look forward to, instead. Diseases and madness have captivated almost every generation before me. Young deaths; all of my siblings died before adulthood… I could die without trying to rid my family of these… infirmities… or I could do everything in my power to bring in the strength and vitality it lacks. Any regular person… they won't make a difference." Bella stopped there. She reached up a hand, wrapping metallic fingers around Albel's wrist, bringing his hand away from her vulnerable throat.

"Why should I care about your family and their misfortunes?" Albel asked. Bella slowly tilted her head, her eyes drifting off to nowhere for a moment, as if an idea had slowly crept into her mind. Then a sudden alertness, and subtle twitch at her eyebrows was evidence of her discarding said idea. Then she tilted her head the other way, as if reconsidering.

"You do not need to," Bella said slowly, some of the fine confidence washed out of her voice. However, she didn't sound particularly shaken, either. She pursed her lips as she paused, her mind going over words. "Your hesitance to actually say 'no' is reason enough to say 'yes'," Bella said in a softer tone.

Knowing that humans, herself included at times, could be irrational creatures, Bella made a very risky move. She only took a moment to assess consequences, but pressed forward with determination, and mild curiousity. Before Albel could make anymore retorts, she silenced him with methods much gentler than his own. His ability to speak was obstructed by her lips pressing against his. Although many time kisses are written as sweet, one cannot deny that they are rather salty instead. However, this observation was far from either person's mind. To Bella's relief, she was not forcefully pushed away. To her dismay, she didn't maintain complete, objective control over the situation as she had intended to. _One kiss_, she had thought, _just to get his attention and lower his guard_. One kiss did not only increase exponentially, but deviated away from the lips. The narrow gap that was previously between them vanished, as both strong-minded individuals were raptly sucked into a ravenous void, in which common sense declined. At least, it did for the average, and even of the above-average, human. However, a hand at her hip, approaching the clasp that kept up her skirt, snapped Bella out of the trance. With stunning reflexes, she accosted Albel's hand and pulled her head away, as far as the pillar behind would warrant, and forced a firm expression on her face.

"No more; not unless we're married," Bella said. Albel did not take to this game very lightly, as he made clear with the hideous glare he gave Bella; it was more intense than any other. His hand clenched, swinging back as if to smite her for such an ignoble maneuver. However, there was hesitation before he let his hand fall to his side. There were simply things that were beneath even him. Bella observed this with a calm expression, although there was a spike in her heart beat. "Give me your answer; yes or no."

"You miserable…" Albel muttered, taking a reluctant step back. He regarded her contemptuously, until his face could no longer hold such an expression. "Fine, I'll give you an absolute answer, as long as you say nothing and leave immediately."

Bella squinted her eyes at him for a moment, but then slowly nodded. "I promise, Albel." Bella responded in earnest. Albel looked her straight in the eyes, and told her…

**A/N**: The chapter DOES end there. MUWA HA HA HA…. I really need a life, don't I?


	24. Chapter 24: Decision

A/N: Yes

**A/N**: Yes. That was a horribly cruel cliffhanger. I haven't actually played SO3 in a while, and I'm a lazy sort of person. So rather than search online or check and confirm something by booting up the game, I'm just going from what I remember and take lots of liberties. People do it all the time. This has been one of those chapters where I have typed up a page, left it, then deleted a huge chunk of it next time I sat down to work on it.

**Chapter 24: **_**Decision**_

"I'll do it… you are incorrigible, but that just might things interesting," Albel said. He seemed a little surprised by his own answer, but quickly batted away any uncertainty. He gave a nonchalant shrug and let on a subtle grin. "With those fools gone to wherever they came from, and Vox dead, this world has become dull." He placed a hand on his hilt. "Besides, if you overstep your boundaries, I can always kill you. No one will dare ask questions." Bella's face lit up, as it all finally had come to an end; the end she fought for. Albel, seeing her reaction, quickly reminded her, "remember… not a word."

Bella nodded her head compliantly. She understood why she didn't want her to say anything; her gleeful tones of triumph would make him feel somehow defeated. That would only serve to make him instantly regret his decision. Obediently, Bella turned towards the doors and headed out. All that was left to do was to wait back at Kirlsa for him to return. Of course, if he took too long, she would seek him out and make certain he was a man of his word. However, Bella had faith in him that he wouldn't do something so cowardly.

Bella slipped out the doors, glancing up to look for Sashua. Sure enough, the dull scales of an experienced, but not quite elderly, female dragon could be found, waiting patiently on a large rock. Seeing Bella emerge, she lifted her head and immediately jumped down from her perch. She lowered herself invitingly, and Bella climbed onto her shoulders. "Sashua, in such a short time, promises and ambitions that have been plaguing me are coming to fruition. I have you, and now I have Albel."

"I personally do not see how that is something to be proud about. His very life is an insult," Sashua said stuffily. Bella leaned forward, staring at Sashua in moderate disbelief.

"How so?" she inquired. She could take offense at the statement, but she preferred to believe that Sashua would not be pointedly cruel.

"Those who fail the Accession of Flames are killed. This discourages those who aren't completely serious and determined from bothering us. If the toll is death, men do not take the challenge lightly. That man only lost his arm…" Sashua responded. Bella was silent, thinking for a moment.

"Then why didn't you simply kill him when he came here with the others?" Bella asked. Sashua launched into the air, flapping her wings to sustain her altitude.

"It happened a long time ago, and his father took the fall. Although it is he who deserves to die, we will not take more lives than necessary, especially since Glau was respectable, and it would be dishonourable to let his sacrifice go to waste. That is human folly," Sashua responded in a calm, somewhat indignant tone. Bella smiled and rubbed the back of Sashua's neck

"That is what I expected to hear… but… I can not be so bold to believe that all of my assumptions are correct…" Bella flattened herself against Sashua as her ride flew up into a tunnel. As they plunged into darkness, Bella thought about what Sashua said. "He also lost his arm. Damaged as he is, you can not deny that he is now very skilled and strong. That is what I admire him for, and I won't be ashamed because of your poor opinion of him."

"That is your prerogative," Sashua responded calmly. Light flashed by them as they speedily flew past small opening and natural skylights. "I will not speak another slander against him to your ears, if you wish."

"No, you are entitled to your opinion… although I am unsure if it is your opinion, or one you simply borrowed…" Bella responded. There was suddenly some turbulence as Sashua's rhythm was temporarily disturbed. Bella threw her arms tightly around Sashua's neck to keep from falling off.

"You do me discredit from your impertinent assumption. I honestly have little to no regard for that arrogant brute, of my own mind, and not another's. If I may speak my opinions freely, you are treading a dangerous path. I do not believe you fully see the potential error before you," a very piqued Sashua cautioned. Bella remained holding tight.

"I thank you for your concern, but I am confident I am at little danger, in spite of his threats. As long as I don't push him too far, which I'll have not need to do so, he will have no call for violence against me… and I can take his words," Bella responded. Although, a part of her had cautiously thought the very things Sashua said. In her pursuit of his strength, she may be selling herself to a man on the edge, who could go either way. He could continue to spiral down a dark path, or he could overcome his bitterness, and make large improvements. Or he could somehow not change much at all. Bella, however, was satisfied with her decision regardless of the consequences.

"If you are confident, then I have little more to say," Sashua responded with no expression. Bella loosened her grip enough to rub Sashua gently.

"I suppose, then, you would begrudge me if I were to ask you to allow him to ride on your back," Bella peeped. Sashua turned her head to give an exasperated glance at Bella, before quickly looking ahead again lest she steer wrong.

"It would be beneath me to do so… but if you wish it, I will comply. I may toss him off, however, if he does not guard his mouth as carefully as he guards his pride," Sashua said severely. Bella sighed as they shot into the darkening sky. There was still some light coming from the far west, but otherwise stars were starting to awaken.

"Well… unless I feel the situation absolutely warrants it… I won't ask that grave ordeal upon you," Bella said, although she couldn't hide a little sarcasm. Either Sashua didn't detect it, or she simply did not bother to let it upset her. "Could you take me all of the way to Kirlsa?"

"Yes," Sashua responded. No more words were exchanged between the two of them until Sashua began to descend just outside of Kirlsa.

"Land me inside… they close the gates at night and I wouldn't be able to get in," Bella said. Without a word, Sashua corrected her flight plan, taking a mighty flap to get a bit of altitude, and then swooped into the large main street of Kirlsa. Dragons coming and going were of no worry to the locals, although there will always be those who will watch with envious awe, whether from their window or the middle of the street, whenever one such magnificent creature landed. Due to the darkness, the fact that a female, and not a knight in the Dragon Brigade, slipped off of the dragon escaped everyone's notice.

Bella managed to steal away to the inn. She dropped coins on the desk in front of the innkeeper, and headed upstairs without a word. The Innkeeper did not stop her or say they were full, and so Bella felt not shame in such behaviour. She wanted nothing more than to just get to sleep. The physical strain she had been under, as well as the relief of triumphing over two endeavors in a short amount of time, left her drained. Naturally, any other girl in her situation, with a marriage to a captain would make them so excited they could not sleep. Perhaps they would sing, with stars in their eyes, sentimental songs about romance or dreams. Bella was often the exception, and instead crawled into an available bunk, just merely content and mostly tired. She fell asleep right away.

The next morning, Bella rose to her feet. Bella raked her fingers through her hair and tied most of it back. Reassembling the events prior to her retirement to the inn, she put back on her leather cuirass and gauntlets. Bella passed by a small mirror on her way out of the inn and took a brief look at herself. Satisfied, she stepped out into the street.

Bella was led by the rumbling in her stomach. She headed out through the gates of Kirlsa, determined to hunt her next meal. If all went according to plan, and certain individuals upheld their begrudging promises, then she'd have plenty of opportunities to get spoiled. In the meantime, she wasn't going to waste her money on food, or try to leech her next meal off of someone. And so, Bella headed out into the wilderness.

Most of the morning, and even some of the early afternoon, was spent away from Kirlsa. Sashua had been waiting for Bella outside, and so she had enlisted Sashua's keen eye and aerial view to locate the best prey. The co-effort between the two was enjoyable for both parties. There was an esteemed sense of freedom that not ever dragon who cleaved unto man had. Somewhere remote, the two of them sat by a roaring fire and spit. Sashua was languidly laying herself down, the crook of her tail encircling Bella's comparatively slim form. There was nothing to be said between them, they just quietly enjoyed a meal together (as Sashua would have hunted her own, larger prey as well).

Just as Bella was finishing her protein-heavy meal, Sashua suddenly lifted her head alertly. Bella glanced around her, and then stared imploringly at Sashua for a reason to this sudden alarm. Without a word, Sashua got to her feet, and launched into the air, leaving Bella puzzled. Bella sighed, licking one of her fingers, and eyeing her gauntlets. If danger were approaching, Sashua wouldn't abandon her. The dying licks of flame and shambles of charcoal became the next focus of her gaze. Perhaps the smoke had attracted unwanted attention that wasn't necessarily dangerous, but just inconvenient. Picking off the last strand of meat from the bone, she tossed the femur into the fading embers. There was a crunch, crunch sound that caught her attention. She turned her head and saw a man approaching, leading a lum by the reigns.

"Are you Miss Bella Lecross?" the man asked. Bella nodded her head slowly, refraining herself from picking her teeth just then. The man had a look of relief. "I am sorry if I am interrupting your, uh, camp out…" he faltered, seeming a little abashed by addressing someone so very different. "You, uh, I mean, please go to Lord Woltar's manor. Immediately, er, please."

Bella stared at the man silently, watching him get increasingly unnerved. She was uncertain as to why he behaved in such a manner. Most men looked down on her with disdain for her 'wild ways', while women gave her glances of pity at a hopeless cause such as herself. Bella grabbed her gauntlets, strapping her hands within. She gave the man another long glance as she got to her feet. "Immediately? Did he give reason for the urgency?"

"Uh, no, no he did not. He just said it was a personal matter, and gave a description of you. I only found you because of the smoke… and he didn't say it was urgent, it's just, he sent me this morning… and I don't want to keep, uh, him waiting," the man explained. Then he glanced at the pile of bones there. Bella followed his gaze. There were the bones of both hers and Sashua's catches. She could guess what he was thinking; no woman could eat that much. She looked back at him. Now she knew why Sashua got away so quickly. Her presence may have caused undue awkwardness. Only men were capable of taming dragons, according to the Glyphian mind-set. Bella decided, so not to make unnecessary stirring among the subjects of Airyglyph, to not reveal her bond with Sashua.

"Well, if you are so concerned about my haste, does that mean you are offering me a ride on your fine steed there?" Bella asked. The notion of riding with her seemed to mortify the man. However, he weakly brought the Lum closer, nodding to her.

"Go ahead and get on," he offered. Bella smiled and put one of her feet in the stirrups, and then hoisted herself upon the tall beast. He got on behind her, taking hold of the reigns around her. With a command and flick of the reigns, the Lum set off, easing itself into a gallop. He was greatly relieved when they arrived at the Storm Brigade's stables, and he could go on his way.

Bella arrived at the front doors of Woltar's abode with her long bangs messed from the wind, both from flying and riding lum-back. For this, she received quite an unimpressed stare from the servant who answered the door. However, knowing to expect her arrival, he reluctantly told her to come in. He caught the eye of another servant, who disappeared, and then reappeared with a comb. Bella stared at the offered item, and then glanced over at the first shiny, reflective surface she could find. "Oh…. Right…" she muttered. For modesty's sake, and because the servants weren't likely to let her get past the foyer looking less than presentable. She wasn't embarrassed, of course. She was just being… polite. She didn't know why the servants quickly hurried off to appear busy.

"What are you doing?" came a reproachful voice from above her. She glanced up the stares at Albel, who stood with his arm resting on the banister. "You didn't seem the sort to faun over appearance." Well, maybe she was slightly embarrassed now, at being misrepresented. However, she coolly set the comb down on a nearby surface, and looked up at Albel.

"The servants weren't going to let me get any further into this grand house without looking at least a little presentable," Bella responded. She heard the very distant sound of a faint giggle. "At least my choice of apparel isn't horribly radical or subject to giving the wrong impression."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Albel snapped. Bella calmly began to walk up the stairs, Albel watching her with a fixed frown the entire time. When she was standing beside him, she finally responded.

"As I said when we first met, you dress like an Aquarian," Bella said slyly, although her thoughts expanded on the sentence. _You dress like an Aquarian woman. _One can be glad that Albel does not have the ability to read minds, otherwise a devastating altercation may have occurred just then.

"…I like having my full range of movement," Albel finally muttered in defense. Bella simply nodded, not going to press on the matter any further. He could wear any manner of ridiculous, loud, or clownish clothing, and it wouldn't matter. He was strong and skilled, and she imagined it was just yet another trap; something to dare people to taunt him to give him excuse to crush them.

"As do I," Bella responded. "Now then, what is it I was summoned for?"

"Hmph. That old man… come with me," Albel said, changing the course of his sentence quickly. He turned, and gestured for her to come. Without another word, she followed Albel to a comfortably furnished room, where Woltar was seated. Seeing Bella and Albel enter, he bid both of them to sit down. Albel fell into a slumped, casual position in one of the chairs, an expression of disinterest on his face. Bella sat down, and though one couldn't call her mannerism prim or proper, she definitely displaced more grace than Albel.

"Glad you could finally join us," Woltar said, eyeing Bella. Bella simply nodded her head, her hands resting in her lap.

"I apologize for my tardiness. I was out hunting," Bella responded. Woltar nodded, accepting her explanation. "What did you need to see me about?"

"Albel returned far into the late hours last night, and this morning he reluctantly shared some… interesting news," Woltar began. Albel glared over at him.

"I'm right here, old man!" Albel protested in response to being spoken of as if he weren't present. Woltar just glanced at him for a moment, and then returned a steady gaze over at Bella.

"I am to understand that the two of you have reached an understanding and will marry," Woltar continued. Bella nodded her head, remaining quiet in case Woltar had more to say. Sure enough, he continued to speak at a slow, plodding pace. "Well, I'd like to congratulate you both, however, I am not entirely surprised at this. It is interesting nonetheless…"

"Not surprised?" Albel asked, sniping a sharp glance at Bella before glaring at Woltar. Bella smiled, leaning back in her seat.

"Oh… I forgot to mention this young lady had visited me a few times since returning with you after that... unfortunate accident with, what was it, pit traps?" Woltar responded. Albel made one of his classic 'hmph' sounds and crossed his arms, continuing to stare at Woltar. He did not need to be reminded. "She freely expressed her fondness of you when asked the right questions."

"Meddling old man…" Albel muttered, but his eyes then turned on Bella, with an accusatory look to them.

"There's more, isn't there? You didn't just call me in to congratulate me," Bella quickly said to move things along, rather than discourse on her previous visits. Albel turned his gaze back to Woltar, cocking an eyebrow.

"Albel will shortly be resuming his duties as captain," Woltar said, giving Albel a meaningful stare. Albel was unfazed. "You've made the decision, but have either of you given any thought to the future, or the ceremony itself? A lot of minds will be preoccupied and turned towards the coming wedding of the King to an Aquarian Priestess."

"You're kidding me…" Albel said, having been uninformed of the event to come. His eyes darted about, as he sunk into a perplexed expression.

"It hasn't been released to the common public yet, of course. It will need to be introduced gently, seeing as there is still some hostility towards Aquaria," Woltar responded. Albel seemed disconcerted about the idea. Bella assumed it was because he was one of those who was not yet ready to give up the hate between countries. It gave him someone or something to fight.

"What does it have to do with us? Are you implying that this is bad timing?" Bella asked to keep things moving along.

"Not precisely. It all depends on how soon you want the wedding to occur," Woltar explained. Bella leaned forward.

"Neither of us have had any chance to discuss the matter, beyond agreeing to marry," Bella explained. "I would prefer as soon as possible, but… I'll leave it up to Albel," Bella said. Both her and Woltar then homed in on Albel, sitting in his chair, still seeming to be on the thought of the King taking an Aquarian for wife. However, slowly he looked up at the both of them.

"Might as well get it over with as soon as possible," he muttered. "I'll leave the rest of the planning up to you. I could care less about the details," Albel said, rising to his feet.

"Your input is needed," Woltar insisted. Albel waved a dismissive hand to Woltar, proceeding to leave the room without another word. When he was gone Bella and Woltar looked to each other.

"Don't look to me; I know nothing about weddings," Bella claimed. She paused a moment, as Woltar continued to stare at her. "Then again, what does an old bachelor like yourself know, either?"

"I suppose, we all have places to be at the moment. We'll try to discuss this more later tonight," Woltar said, stiffly rising to his feet. "If it is of no inconvenience, could you remain here until this evening? You're invited to dine with us."

"Alright… I can do that. Planning shouldn't take long though. I'm not some starry-eyed damsel with her dreams of a perfect wedding. I don't think that description entirely fits Albel either," both Bella and Woltar grinned. Bella got up to her feet as well, and the both of them were on their way out of the room. "Needless to say, it will be a very plain procession for both our sakes."

**A/N**: Here's something random. Bella is 35 Mary-sue. I came to this by taking several general Mary-sue inventory/litmus tests, made an average out of the results, and then did some other formulaic adjustments to get this number. I doubt you care about the details. I'm satisfied with that number.


	25. Chapter 25: Contact

Chapter 25:

**A/N:** Boy oh boy did I have a difficult time coming up with a name for this chapter. If you haven't noticed, I've been trying to keep each chapter title one word. It has to be relevant as well. I finally came up with one. In fact, right now I am staring at the list of chapters and their titles. It really makes it easy, when I need to back check things, to locate the information or event that I'm looking for. For example, Chapter 7 is called Encounter, so I know that is where Fayt's party first make their cameo.

**Chapter 25: **_**Contact**_

The following days, Bella spent a lot of time at Woltar's manor, but always retiring to the inn at the end of the night. It was mentioned that he'd invite her to stay, but it simply wouldn't be prudent to do so. Thus, Bella continued to conserve what money she had left after paying for her gauntlets. Woltar had insisted that she put some of that money towards newer clothes. Taking on his advice, Bella bought some simple dresses, as well as some riding garb. She would have blended in with other maidens from Kirlsa if not for her continuing to wear her horned circlet or the red runes tattooed onto her face and down her neck.

There were few battles or disagreements about the wedding. If anything, both Bella and Albel had let it fall on Woltar's lap to arrange. Albel had more important (manly) things to do, and Bella was honestly clueless. Woltar took control of the arrangements without any bitterness or complaint. Perhaps it was safer this way. Either person may get creative, and have an idea that would, no doubt, result in a minor social disaster.

Bella had made sure to send word to her mother about the _joyous_ affair. Tracking down the whereabouts of her father to send the news was a work in progress. Likewise, other relevant people were notified. It eventually leaked down, and soon the gossip about Albel getting married swept through Kirlsa. Bella managed to catch snippets of the speculation in regards to it. There was some confusion as to who the lucky lady, or poor unfortunate soul, was. Some gave varied accounts of what this woman was like. A few got it right, naming the wild horned woman, of course, upon realizing her presence, would promptly change the subject. There were some older ladies who talked how they hoped this would settle him down from being so wild and angry. Other people questioned the truth of these rumors, they perceived Albel as… _unique_. With a title such as 'Albel the Wicked', there were stories and ideas thrown around that made most a silly maiden blush. Diving straight into the worse case scenario, they who loved to create a sensation, propagated that it was likely to cover up a certain devious act. All of them made Bella shake her head and laugh quietly to herself. _Feeble minded humans_…

The day of the wedding had, indeed, been set as early as possible. Two days before the monumental event, Bella returned from hunting, wearing her old clothes. She was informed that the master was called away, but to make herself at home. This did not bother Bella. Instead, her mind was turned to Albel, who seemed even more aloof than usual. It wasn't the sort of begrudging distance one would expect under the circumstances, but a distressed air that seemed to hang over him since hearing of the King's betrothal. She'd wisely not made her observation known, but it was beginning to pique her curiousity. Surely this matrimonial alliance couldn't upset him too harshly.

"Go away," was a gruff response when Bella had sought out his room and knocked. At least she knew he was in there. She waited a moment, and then called through the door.

"Albel, it's Bella," she said. There was no immediate reply. Finally, the door slowly opened and Albel stared at her sullenly.

"What do you want?" he asked, but didn't seem to have the energy to work up a sneer. Either that, or he honestly did not feel a need to snarl at her. Bella was unsure as to which it was.

"You've seemed gloomy. Is it because of our marriage, or the King's?" Bella asked straight out. He stared at her for her frankness for a moment, and then shook his head.

"I don't need your concern," Albel said, attempting to close the door. With a quick motion, Bella wedged herself in the way of the shutting door. Albel paused for a moment, staring at her.

"What distresses you so much about it? Although I was raised in Kirlsa, I do have Aquarian lineage. So what is the matter with the King taking an Aquarian wife?" Bella asked, failing to keep eye contact. His eyes seemed to drift downward. Bella paused, following the line of sight to her own exposed and tattooed thigh. Her eyes shot back up at Albel's expressionless face. She decided not to mention notice of it and continued to speak. "You even worked fairly well with Nel to fight those celestial ships…" Albel's eyes snapped back up to her. "The war is over. Can you not accept that?"

"Don't mention that Aquarian scum around me… it was only necessity that allowed us to cooperate," Albel reproached. Bella took a step back, raising her eyebrows. Bella had been leaving him to his own devices in the last few days, but now she wondered if she shouldn't have been provoking him a little here or there. It seemed to clear up that sluggish black cloud that had taken residence over his head. Bella smirked at his sudden change in countenance.

"As you wish, Albel," Bella responded pleasantly. However, her mind went over his specific words. The phrasing seemed a little odd to her, but she could not identify what it was that struck her. He stared irately at her for a long moment. However, he relented and sobered his expression and opened his door wider, stepping aside.

"Why don't you come in?" he invited, to his own amazement. Bella tilted her head, arching an eyebrow. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head.

"Thank you for the offer, but it wouldn't be proper. Normally I don't care about proper, but while in Woltar's house, I'm on my best behaviour. It's the least I can do to show my respect and gratitude," Bella responded.

"Is that so?" Albel muttered and stepped out, closing the door behind him. "I suppose that makes sense." Bella regarded him quietly for a moment, as he lingered outside of his own bedroom.

"I had best be on my way, then," Bella uttered quietly, and turned to head down the hallway. A sudden thwack resulted from a hand hitting the wall just in front of her. Albel's arm barred her path. Confused, and a little startled, Bella turned and looked at Albel, who was leering at her. "Albel?"

"What is your sudden hurry? Remember, it was you who approached me. It isn't like you to suddenly rush off. Usually you don't leave without a fight," Albel said, falling back to his crisp, mocking tones. Bella eye's darted between his intent eyes. _Never a dull moment…_ Bella reflected on how sometimes she didn't actually have him as figured out as she had originally thought.

"Likewise, why are you suddenly so eager to keep my company?" Bella retorted. Their gazes interlocked for quite a moment, each pressing the other to respond, each equally stubborn not to be the first to volunteer their reason. However, thinking better than to feed her tenacious personality, she folded. "I seemed to have caught you at a particularly bad… possibly awkward… moment. I have been trying to give you space and not press my luck, lest my plans be disrupted," Bella admitted with utmost sincerity.

"Disrupted? Do you think I would go back on my word, especially now?" Albel shook his head. "I would never hear the end of it!"

"As sure as I am of most things, what I am absolutely certain of is that the unexpected lies in wait," Bella recited. Albel raised an eyebrow at her. "It's something my father used to say. Well, that's the only thing I can remember about him, really." At the mention of her father, Albel instantly seemed to withdraw. It wasn't a large dramatic gesture, but he removed his arm from her path, and something in his demeanor just seemed to cringe ever so slightly.

"…bah…" Albel finally uttered, turning to go back to his room. Bella reached out to stop him, but then thought better of it. Curiousity often was what drove her to pursue a person in distress, not concern. This selfish trait often resulted in negative encounters. With the wedding so close, she did not intend to fight with Albel more than necessary. So instead, she left him to brood.

Bella headed back out into the streets of Kirlsa. As she walked out of the Storm Brigade's training grounds, she began to get an ominous feeling. Something made the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she became quickly apprehensive. Then she heard it. Such a shrill shriek shattered the white noise of the mining town. Bella threw her hands to her ears. It wasn't human. She knew it wasn't human. It was worse; it was a dragon. This realization caused her to launch into a fast sprint, heading for the east gate. She flung herself past the bewildered sentries and into the hilly wilderness beyond.

"SASHUA!" Bella called out in desperation. An orange flash drew her attention, and she charged in that direction, not caring about the uneven footing that lay ahead. She nearly fell a few times, but always managed to catch herself and continue to gallop towards Sashua. She could see her now. Her eyes could not make out the creature that engaged her companion in vicious combat. As she got closer, more dread began to fill every cavity in her being. The large winged being was covered in black, with a pale, nondescript face. With conviction, Bella hurled herself at the offender, with dire intent to claw and bite the horrible monster. However, she did not even get to touch a fiber of that creatures being. Midair, a shockwave pulsated outward from the feminine thing. The force sent Bella flying backwards. Landing some meters away, Bella looked up in confusion.

"What… what is it?" she asked herself. Sashua, seeing Bella fly into the fight, lifted herself slowly from where she had similarly been tossed. The stiffness in one of her wings left Bella worried that it may be broken. Sashua unleashed her fiery breath upon the floating abomination. This seemed to only stall the monster. With her face set in grim determination, Bella got to her feet.

"Fool! Remove yourself! It's too strong!" roared Sashua once she had expended her flames. However, her warning was not soon enough, as Bella plunged into the foray again, symbols flashing around her madly. Bella unleashed a fury of fire, and then followed it up with a surge of lightning. When the spells ceased, she only saw the creature there for a moment before it suddenly disappeared. Within a blink of an eye, it was in front of Bella, its hands raised to strike. There was no pause before the sharp slashes raked through her light armour. Bella was stunned, feeling nothing at first as she looked down at herself. Red liquid oozed out of the tears in her leather. Then it struck her, causing her to wince. She glanced up at the hovering enemy. Bright symbols were forming around it, growing in intensity and power. In spite of the pain, Bella lumbered as fast as she could away from the caster. However, she wasn't fast enough, as she felt a sheet of pain consume her entire backside, causing her to fall on her face and skid across the dirt and shrubs a few feet.

"Die, abomination," came a droning voice. Bella twisted herself around, clenching her teeth through the pain, and stared up at it again. Sweat broke out on her brow, as she faced a quickly approaching doom. _Was this one of those beings that Fayt and Cliff were talking about? If so… then they must have failed. _Bella sneered, and forced herself onto her feet, a hand across her injured chest. Another pulse sent her back, her head making a hasty acquaintance with a nearby rock. "Do not resist; accept your extermination."

"No," Bella growled. She put out a hand towards the faceless being from her downed position, ignoring the ache in her head. Runes danced in front of her and then a vortex of lightning sprouted right where the winged thing hovered. This gave Sashua an opening, and another spray of fire enveloped the horrific being, while it still was trapped in a writhing, green funnel of electricity. Bella, however, could not account for the third contribution to this attack. Ice began to form from beneath, and raise up, catching just the hem of the robe, or perhaps dress, that the monster wore. Taking this opportunity, Bella recklessly flung herself at the creature again. This time she made contact, and grounded the fiend. Having it pinned, she began to slash and claw furiously at it. She wasn't even aware of anyone approaching, until her arm was grabbed and she was dragged off of it in the nick of time. When this happened, her eyes went beyond the creature, which regained its posture up in the air. Familiar figures in the distance were racing towards her. If they were still far away, then who…

"What the hell are you doing, fool?" came the low, toxic voice of her fiancé. Feeling the crash of adrenaline leaving her body, Bella looked down at her bloody hand. She was trying to claw at that thing with her bare hands; her gauntlets were left behind. "Do something stupid like that again, and I will leave you to your fate," Albel hissed, his hand gruffly grabbing the back of her straying hand, and forcing it back onto her wound. Bella wearily glanced up at Albel, with a crazed smile, but distressed eyes.

"It's the end after all… of the world I mean. Not me…" Bella muttered. Albel set her down gruffly, drawing his sword as he rose and faced the enemy. She stared up at him at a less than flattering angle. Her hand remained on the deep cuts, but she didn't really feel all of the pain. Instead, it was replaced by a pang of turmoil in her stomach. She quickly rolled onto her side, unable to suppress the sudden need to vomit. She closed her eyes tight, as the pounding in her head dominated over all other sensations. The light just made it worse. Even with her eyes closed, she could see flashes and spots of light.

Bella's concept of time was shot as she lay discarded to the side of the battlefield, curled up in the fetal position, trying to bury her eyes from any light. Sounds all became distant, and bled into each other. She clawed at the ground, to keep it from spinning, but to no avail. After a while, all she could hear was ringing in her ears. Yet, all at once, reality shot back to her. The spinning stopped, the ringing quieted but didn't entirely leave, and time seemed once again to exist. She wasn't sure if talking brought her back, or if it just was what was happening when it all resolved itself.

"No, don't move her, you could just cause more harm," were the first words that managed to get processed in her shaken brain. However, she wasn't alert enough to associate the voice with a person. To her, it was just a voice. All traits of it seemed to drain away, leaving the words without master.

"Why is it every time we find her, she's trashed, or in the process of getting her butt whooped? Hey Mirage, see if you can't get some decent medicine, will ya?" came a more clear voice. Yes, it was masculine. A picture came to her mind. A name. Cliff. Bella finally bravely peeked open an eye, only receiving a blurry perception of the world around her.

"She seems to be coming around. Uh, what was her name again?" came a female voice that she wasn't quite as acquainted with. It was only somewhat familiar.

"Bella," came a short response from… Fayt. Yes. That must be him.

"Okay. Bella can you hear me?" said the girlish voice again. Bella groaned in response, as if checking to see if she could make a noise.

"Yes…" she finally managed to say. She was just barely aware of hands on her. At first she thought it was her own hand pressing on the cuts, but then she became suddenly aware than both of her hands were laid out by her sides.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked. Bella opened both of her eyes, staring up into a collage of blurry faces. She frowned, trying to focus. However, it just resulted in a bigger headache.

"Too blurry… I think I split my skull…" Bella moaned. There was a bit of silence that followed, as she felt finger carefully touching her head.

"Well, she seems to be articulating well. That's a good sign, isn't it?" Fayt asked with cautious optimism.

"Oooh… there's a pretty bad bump back here, and she's bleeding. How terrible… but she's lucky to be alive if she took one of those executioners on by herself."

"Executioner? So they made it here… and you didn't put a stop to it…" Bella said, as her mind began to clear up a little. Before anyone could say anything, Bella closed her eyes and quickly changed the subject. "I hit a rock." The clearness seemed determined to leave as quickly as it had come. Her mind seemed unable to hold a thought for long. However, one thought managed to linger long enough for her to vocalize it. "Where's Albel? He was here… right? I think…"

"Calm down. Yeah, he was here. Helped us take down that nasty, and another one that came sniffing around here. He quickly headed back to Kirlsa, though, without saying much," Cliff explained.

"Oh," came Bella's response after a long pause. She wasn't certain what she was acknowledging. She was sure they tried to say more, but the ringing in her ears resumed their deafening volume. "I can't hear… the ringing…" were the last words she uttered before she lost all sensation, and everything became black.

**A/N: **"I don't mean to deceive you, cause I feel no pain. Maybe I should let you, come on and eat my brain." Best song ever (not really, I'm just in an odd mood). Er, I mean, hello! I'm not afraid to get into the yucky realities to remove some of the romance from battles and the like. Oh, and I am mean enough to give my main character a concussion two days before her wedding. No, it will not result in amnesia. An amnesiac Bella might just be amiable, and we can't have that. BOO HUMANS (and their weak craniums)!


	26. Chapter 26:Infirmities

**A/N**: Having head trauma, no matter how minor, I can only imagine about. I've been a lucky one. Although my sister never had a concussion, she had meningitis a while back, and it was frightening how it altered her ability to perceive, think, and respond. Furthermore, it affected her personality. I can only imagine the frustration.

**Chapter 26: **_**Infirmities**_

Consciousness drifted gently to Bella. Sensations faded to her awareness in gradients. First she was just merely aware of her own mind. Next, she could hear commonplace noise; nothing special. Next, she was aware of something soft beneath her head, which she simultaneously felt begin to ache, and sheets beneath her hands. Finally, she opened her eyes.

The room she was in was dimly lit, much to her appreciation, and nicely furnished. She discovered this when she turned her head to give a glance about the room. The room was otherwise empty, other than a tray with a glass of water sitting beside her. She removed thick covers off of her and slowly forced herself to sit up. A sense of vertigo temporarily paralyzed her, almost causing her to fall back down onto the bed. Instead, she just remained sitting up, suddenly unwilling to go all the way and stand. One may feel terrified by now, but she could hear that there were people out in the hallway. There was only one reasonable response to her situation.

"Hello?" she called out. She didn't have the energy or inclination to shout, so she settled for just raising her voice. She pressed her fingers into the soft mattress and waited. Just as she was about to call out again, the door swung open. The figure wasn't immediately discernable, as the person purposely tried to block as much light from the hallways from entering as possible. Once Bella's eyes adjusted, she realized it was a woman entering. She was familiar… but from where?

"How are you?" she asked. It wasn't a cautious, girly tone, or a droning apathetic tone of one who just asks because it is required to. There was something sensible in her tone and mannerisms.

"My head hurts, I'm dizzy, and…" Bella thought for a moment. How did she feel other than that? There had been some anxiety hiding around the bend, and she caught it peeking its head from around the corner. Her eyes lit up and she frowned. "How long was I out for? I have things I need to do…"

"Calm down. You won't be able to get anything done if you harm yourself further," the woman respond reassuringly. Bella stared into her large, dark blue eyes, framed by strawberry blonde bangs. Yes, she'd met her before the fight with the celestial ships. The woman seemed to have a natural smile to her lips, and Bella remembered staring at them when she talked. _What was her name?_

"Has more than a day passed since…" Bella trailed off. For some reason, she couldn't quite remember just when she lost consciousness. She remembered rushing to Sashua's aid, and there being some bizarre woman-like being with many wings. There was a faint snapshot of Fayt and Cliff, and some others off in the distance. The precise details, however, were lost on her.

"Not quite a full day has passed. You just needed to rest. You hit your head very hard," the woman answered. Bella blinked a few times, and then sighed. "Why don't you lay back down?" Bella relented, and laid herself down, but propped up her head and shoulders a little so that she could drink the water beside her without spilling all over herself.

"I'm sorry… I don't remember your name, but you were there planning the fight against the Celes- er… those Vendeers…" Bella said apologetically.

"It isn't a problem. I am Mirage," she said, shaking her head, wearing that pleasant smile of hers. "It is good to see that your long term memory is in tact." Bella agreed that this was, in fact, a good thing. She drank the water passionately, feeling absolutely parched and sluggish. She could feel the cool revitalizing liquid flow down her throat, and could track the coolness all the way down her chest cavity. By the time she set the empty glass aside, her headache was beginning to wear out. However, this only allowed her to become aware of the stinging, sore sensation on her chest. She remembered a bloody hand. Bella put a hand to her chest, pulling at the blouse a little to peer down. She didn't care if there was someone present; it was only another woman. She saw some short bandages with spots of blood, and one particular strip reaching up to her clavicle that was stitched shut.

"I did a very foolish thing, didn't I?" Bella murmured. This was going to scar, and though she was not particularly vain, she did not fancy having a large, ungainly scar down her chest.

"It is not my place to say, especially since we arrived only part way through," Mirage responded. "I wouldn't worry, you are in capable hands. A combination of medicine and symbology, coupled with sufficient rest, will have you better in no time."

"Symbology?" Bella asked. Mirage nodded.

"Yes, what you refer to as Runology," Mirage gave a straightforward explanation. Bella shaped her mouth into a small circle, to let out a barely audible 'oh'.

"Oh. Where would you find a runologist who has… uh… healing? I am in Kirlsa, right?" Bella asked dubiously.

"You are. We travel with someone gifted with… advanced symbology," Mirage responded, meandering a little in her usual direct tone. Bella glanced back down at the healing wounds. "I will go fetch your attending doctor. I know that the others, Cliff and Fayt in particular, will be interested to know you are awake and with only minor head trauma."

"Why wait on me? It seems a foolish thing to do when… when…" Bella suddenly lost her thought, and desperately tried to retrieve it. However, all was lost, and she gave a defeated sigh. Whatever it was, it was important, or clever.

"…When we have a very important mission?" Mirage hazarded a guess. Bella turned and looked at her, staring blankly for a moment.

"What? Oh yes, that was it," Bella said, feeling a little flustered by her inability to focus.

"I will see about that doctor," Mirage repeated, turning and heading for the door. Bella sighed, rolling her aching head back gently into the pillow. She stared upward. She tried to hold a thought long enough to make sense of it, but instead everything felt fragmented and scattered.

It wasn't long before a Glyphian doctor entered her room. Naturally, this doctor was a man, as women simply were not objective or intelligent enough to aspire to such a distinguished occupation. Bella offered her full cooperation, answering any question he asked to the best of her ability. It seemed to go by remarkably fast, even when he was redressing her wounds. She was sure she winced, and there was pain somewhere in that interval, but it all quickly vanished from her mind. Her mind was too busy trying to grope at something that was causing her worry.

Sometime after the doctor had left, the cloud in Bella's mind seemed to momentarily lift. "Sashua…" uttered a disquieted Bella. She knew that she was told to rest, but Bella struggled to her feet, fighting the dizziness and nausea regardless. Shuffling her feet to keep both of them touching the ground at all times; Bella followed the wall to the door. Her hand went for the handle, but instead smacked into the wall beside the door. Bella held up her trembling hand, glaring at it for its disobedience. Concentrating hard, she carefully guided her hand to the handle. Feeling the cold metal against the palm of her hand, she grasped the handle and pulled the door open.

The hall was empty at that moment, devoid of servants. She slipped out of her room, keeping a hand along the wall as she walked down the carpeted hallway. Familiar voices caught her attention, and she tip-toed closer to the source.

"…to Aquaria. But, we saw the light show Bella was making trying to take on an executioner by herself. I'd say the girl's got guts, but she probably didn't know what she was up against," spoke Cliff's distinctive voice. Bella curled in her lips and held her breath as she continued to listen.

"I'm beat… I've been fighting those executioners almost all day… and I know more will come, eventually," came Fayt's voice.

"This is very grave indeed. I've sent word to King Arzei to be cautious about fighting these new enemies that have invaded our home," explained Woltar's slow, steady tones. "I am old, and not in the same shape I used to be, but if I have to fight them to protect Kirlsa, I will."

"Ludicrous! Don't be a fool, old man - you'd get eaten alive," scolded Albel.

"If these executioners are as powerful as you say, Bella is quite fortunate indeed. Now it is a matter of whether she is very brave, or very foolish," Woltar continued, ignoring Albel's remark.

"How do you figure the difference?" Fayt inquired.

"Whether she attacked it head on, or it attacked her and she was fighting for her life," Woltar responded sagely.

"Hard to say. Bella hasn't given any indication of how she came to be engaged," piped in Mirage's voice.

"Oh, Mirage, glad you could join us," Fayt expressed with enthusiasm. "What do you know?"

"The doctor confirms my suspicions. The head trauma was minor. She should be fine as long as she takes it easy," Mirage responded in a pleasant tone of voice. "I don't think there will be any permanent damage. Symptoms of headaches, nausea, forgetfulness, foul moods, low energy, lack of coordination, and an inability to focus may persist for a few days, though." Bella frowned. _A few days? I don't have a few days to recover!_ Bella felt her ears get increasingly hot as her heart began to thump angrily in her chest. _This is their fault! They were supposed to stop these freaks from coming to destroy us!_ Bella almost burst into the room to express her thoughts, but quickly caught herself. _What am I getting so worked up about? This is just a delay, nothing more. My plans will remain absolute._

"Not sure when she hit her head, though. When we arrived she was casting spells like a maniac, and then went for a tackle. She seemed quite lively until Mr. Knight-in-Shining-Armor dragged her off. Then she just seemed to go limp," Cliff recounted. "I mean, we were still quite a ways off, but I could see pretty well. Hmm… speaking of which… I could have sword there was someone else contributing to the fight, but… I didn't get a good look, and by the time we arrived, no one else was there but us…"

"She was probably running on pure adrenaline after receiving the blow to her skull," Mirage surmised. "We won't know until she is well enough to remember - if she can at all." Bella sighed. Would she remember? She really wished she could, then she might be able to remember what happened to Sashua.

"It was pure something…" Cliff remarked. "Anyway, we could ask her right now. I think she is just out in the hallway," Cliff pointed out casually. Bella froze. That was the second time he did that to her. There seemed to be a silent pause. She didn't even hear someone's footsteps come out, to see if he were right. Bella held her breath, adding to the silence. Finally, she heard the chink-thud of someone wearing greaves coming closer. Bella quickly thought up excuses or what to say when she got berated. Finally the door she had leaned her ear against swung open, revealing a grim-faced Albel.

Bella took instant initiative, blurting out what she had managed to think up in those few seconds. "I called, but no one heard me," Bella lied. Albel continued to stare at her, unconvinced and unmoved. Instead, he just closed his eyes and shook his head at her. Bella didn't have anything to add. She was sure she had more clever things to say, why, more Bella things to say, but they all fled. With the death of just a few cells, she was suddenly vulnerable and clumsy. Just a few, tiny cells, and she ached all over, couldn't stand without support, and her cognition became so dull. Of course, Bella wouldn't know this, being on a planet with primitive understandings of biology. If she did, she'd further discriminate against the fragile existence of humans, and undertake her determination to be a cut above the rest with even more conviction. Nonetheless, she was distressed over her weakened state. Albel could see this.

"You brought this upon yourself, fool. And I was beginning to think you had some redeeming qualities…" Albel whispered. Bella's countenance fell with her mood, feeling crushed. It wasn't like her, and she knew it. That was the worst part. However, she did not believe it was entirely her folly. She was trying to save a valuable asset and companion... but she didn't want to explain. She lowered her head. She was going to nod, but once her chin was down, she didn't have the energy to lift it.

"You're right. I was reckless…" Bella admitted against her nature. Albel stared at her hard, as if waiting for more. While he waited, the others in that room got curious and a little restless.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there glaring at her or what?" came Cliff's inquiry. Albel glanced over his shoulder at the surly brute. Without a word, his arm reached out and firmly, but gently, guided Bella away from the door. Afterwards, he stepped through the doorway and closed the door behind him. From behind the door Bella could hear Cliff remark, "Jeez! What's gotten into him _this_ time?"

Bella felt she owed it to herself to show a little more defiance and spirit. "You're right, but I'm not sorry for doing what I did. A fool I may be, but a fool with conviction," Bella said. The flow of her wording wasn't as smooth as it often was, as her mind stalled a few times while saying these enforcing words. However, she made it to the end of her sentiment without completely losing her train of thought.

"I don't care," Albel responded frostily, guiding her arm around slowly, forcing her to turn around. Once she had her back to him, his hand let go of her arm and was placed on the back of her shoulder instead. "Get back to your room."

Bella, in her infirmity, complied without further ado. However, the guided turning made her dizzy. When she tried to take a step forward, she instead fell back against Albel. Hurriedly, he caught her under one of her arms with his good arm… however, there wasn't much support his other arm could offer. The large mechanical gauntlet he wore was made for battle, not for the support and aid of others. It definitely was not possible to be gentle with sharp, metal phalanges. Thus, it was awkward to get Bella back onto her feet, even with her contribution. "I am… however… sorry I can't…"

"Be quiet," Albel quickly interceded. Bella was leaning against the wall, and Albel was standing close behind her, shaking his head. "If this damage were permanent, I'd end your miserable existence… I have no need for an invalid." Bella took a few cautious steps, keeping her arm on the wall. However, she stopped after the slow process of unriddling words into ideas occurred.

"Good…" Bella responded. "I'll hold you to your word…" Bella said tiredly. She'd hate to be an invalid. Although the strange genetic disease usually had an acute onset, there still could be months of agony. She'd be destined for death anyway. She knew she could count on Albel to euthanize her without much conflict on his part. Alternatively, she may lose her mind first, like both of her aunts did. _Wouldn't that be fun? _Bella took a few more steps. She hated this. She'd never been this miserable in her life. "I'll keep the same promise to you… I imagine it would be agony for you to be bedridden… to be weakened to a state where you could only live off of the effort and charity of others…"

"…" Albel's failure to respond was louder and clearer than anything he could have said. It was also a preferred means of communication on Bella's part, and she suspected on Albel's part as well. Especially now that she knew she could lose focus any moment and say something very random or lame. Bella's hand finally clasped the door handle to her room. She paused and sighed before pushing the door open. Just as she was to step into her room, a voice projected, loud and clear, to where she stood.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" traveled Cliff's unmistakable voice. Bella labored another, deeper sigh. However, this cut short in a small gasp, for expanding her chest too much caused the cuts to sting. So instead of an exasperated sigh, she just squeaked and then hissed.

"What is that **arrogant worm** going on about…" Bella could hear Albel mutter. She remained paused in the doorway of her room. _My room? _Bella only just realized thatWoltar had provided her with a room. Bella supposed it wasn't to imprudent when it came to finding a good bed for an injured friend. Of course, Bella was unsure of the term 'friend' really defined her from anyone's perspective. She had visited Woltar a few times, but she was not sure one could call them friends. She was just a welcomed acquaintance that may provide some benefit to Woltar; namely someone to knot Albel to. While Fayt may behave in a friendly manner towards her, it was just his personality. Cliff and her had spent some time alone while his clothes were getting dried after that fall through the ice, but there wasn't exactly any significant connection. She got the impression that Maria merely tolerated her. Bella believed Nel to still be wary of her. Mirage and Sophia were just good people. Bella had no opinion of the small performer girl. Lastly, Albel and her were far from friends. It wasn't just a matter of proximity, but friendship was an entirely different road; a different dimension altogether! In all the languages she knew, there was not a single word that defined their connection. Well, that was, other than fiancé, but that didn't convey what was going on behind the scenes. Sucked into these thoughts, Bella stood unaware of anyone or anything around her for a time.

Once her thoughts on the idea of friendship dried up, she became aware of voices. They were talking in elevated tones in that room, but from where she stood, she couldn't quite make it all out. Glancing out into the hall, she could see that Albel had left. Although she could not discern what he was saying, she was sure he was one of the voices. The conversation did not sound like a peaceful one.

"I should rest…" Bella told herself. However, she wasn't convinced. Curiousity was one of her vices. The tones seemed to quiet down, and eventually she heard a slamming door somewhere in the house. Sighing, with the opportunity to catch the trail end of the heated discussion lost, Bella turned back to her room. It was nice having a private room to herself, she reflected. Perhaps she would keep this room to herself even when she was married. Bella had only taken a step into her room when she heard footsteps. She paused, and then slowly turned, seeing Fayt. She blinked a few times, curious that he had come this way.

"Oh… hey there Bella…" Fayt greeted casually. Bella continued to stare at him. While in a round about away, one could get out of the manor passing through this hallway, there were more direct routes. _So why was he here? Hmph, I bet I know._

"Hello Fayt. Here to cure your curiousness, uh, as to what… well about when I charged that… executioner… thing?" Bella asked. Her head hurt, her focus was declining. With determination, she tried to force herself to focus. However, when it is the brain that is affected, there is only so much will power can do. Frustrated, Bella brought one hand up to rub her left temple. Seeing this, Fayt frowned.

"Something like that… but you look like you should get some more rest," Fayt said, with genuine concern. Bella stared at him.

"I'm fine," Bella asserted. Fayt looked as though he were about to disagree, but a small nagging voice in the back of his head screamed 'hypocrite', and thus, he held his tongue.

"Okay…" was all Fayt could respond with as an alternate to his first impulse. "Actually, I was concerned… you refused to come with us because you wanted a family, right?"

"More or less, but not the same way most… uh… girls do," Bella responded peevishly, waiting for him to get to the point.

"Well, I just heard you were going to marry Albel, and well, he's sort of…"

"Violent, arrogant, temperamental, and cold?" Bella responded, her words in rapid procession. She was amazed and gratified how quickly she thought of the words, and forced them out quickly lest she lose them. Fayt had his turn to stare at her blankly.

"To list a few," he finally added. "You said you wanted someone strong… and while he's a good swordsman… is it really worth it?"

"I don't need your concern," Bella responded crankily, now rubbing both of her temples furiously. She gave a long pause, her lips moving, but not a sound coming out. However, eventually she began to speak slowly but concisely, even if her sentences lacked any flow or transition. "I know what I am getting into. I am content with it. I could not be with someone who fell desperately in love with me. I am best with someone who will not mind being held at an arm's length. Someone dangerous will keep me on my feet." This only continued to astonish Fayt. He stood there, trying to find some understanding in her decision, but shook his head in failure. However, he looked up at Bella, carefully gazing into her eyes.

"Look, Bella, I know you have been disappointed with people. They do a lot of horrible things to each other, and often don't make much sense. But there are so many wonderful things humans have done, and they can be selfless and honourable. Being a human isn't so bad, and it's no reason to loathe yourself because you are one. You really could do better… and while I'm not trying to insult Albel particularly, I just think as he is he won't make a good husband," Fayt tried to reason. Bella continued to stare at him, unmoved.

"Selfless? Foolishness. You are trying to reason with the wrong person, Fayt. No need to be concerned about me. Albel is the one who will get used up…" Bella closed her eyes. "I respect him, but I do not… he is… he has so many pent up… things. When he finally falls apart, I am not going to pick up the pieces," Bella responded coldly, trying to push the pain away. Instead, it just rebounded on her, grating her nerves to tiny threads. Fayt seemed affronted, but his eyes drifted to her hands which cradled her head, and his expression softened.

"You don't mean those things… you aren't yourself," he said patronizingly. Bella shot him a sharp glance, in spite of the pain opening her eyes suddenly caused her. "Go get some rest," Fayt suggested. Bella continued to glare, but relented. The pain was too much for her to try and ignore. She needed rest. She needed respite. She needed to be herself again as soon as possible. Defeated, Bella closed the door behind her, and shuffled to the bed.

* * *

**A/N**: Heh heh…. Because of his obsession with the word 'worm' I just _had_ to use the term 'arrogant worm'. Of course, he has no place to call anyone else arrogant. This obscure reference may only make sense to fellow Canadians. Arrogant Worms is the name of a musical band that does comedic, and quite patriotic, songs. I recommend "The War of 1812", "The Mounted Animal Nature Trail", "Canada is Really Big", or "Carrot Juice is Murder".


	27. Chapter 27: Discontent

Chapter 27

A/N: PHEW! Took me forever to get this chapter done. I had some of it typed up, but then crashed. I forced my way through this chapter, and cut it short too… REALLY SHORT… but I'll try to bring back quality in the chapters to come. This is just a tide over…

Chapter 27: _Discontent_

_She sat there, weak, alone, and disrobed. Blood red flames danced around her, occasionally faces flickering in and out of their devilish forms. Amidst the flames, was Sashua's corpse. The ground was black and the sky was decay-brown. She stared obsessively into a small pool in front of her, watching the blood run down her face. She struck the charred ground, a ravenous blaze of fear and frustration devouring her. From the pool rose an apparition of a cloaked figure, bearing four sets of wings and a large executioner's axe. Hanging from the hem of its cowl were human skulls. Although they bore no resemblance to any of her acquaintances, she knew they were of comrades she had accumulated of late. White-gloved hands gripped the axe, bringing it high over its indistinguishable head. All she could do was looked up from her crouched position, as in slow motion, the heavy blade began to fall upon her neck. In the pool, her reflection smiled._

Bella's eye shot open with a start, ending her dream moments before decapitation. The ceiling above her spun, causing her to clench the sheets tight. Her rapid breaths barely had time to slow before she heard a voice, causing her to whip her head around. Agony invaded her skull once again.

"Who is Sashua?" came a voice that Bella knew she'd likely wake up to for time to come. Maybe. Perhaps the world would end first. Nonetheless, Bella stared at Albel who haunted her doorway, his slender frame silhouetted against the flickering candlelight from the hallway.

"What?" Bella asked. Albel shook his head, taking a meaningful step in, placing a hand on his waist. He repeated his question again, and Bella continued to stare at him. "How do you know her name?"

"Earlier you were calling out about saving Sashua. You kept insisting to your doctor that she had to be found. Don't you remember?" Albel asked. Bella brought the sheets up about her, feeling suddenly uncertain, and not taking the effort to hide it. She could hear Albel tapping his foot impatiently. Bella chose to stare at the two lumps, which were her own two feet under the covers, rather than look at him.

"No-o… not exactly. Are you sure?" Bella asked, not looking at him. She could hear a scoff from her husband-to-be.

"Of course I'm sure!" he responded haughtily. "I'm not the one who got their head split open. Why were you out there in the first place? You were supposed to be waiting for Woltar, not traipsing off in the wilderness!" Albel closed the distance between him and her bed to better loom over her, with his scowl he perfected over the years. Bella slowly looked up at his disapproving glare. "Just what were you doing out there?"

"I…" Bella forced herself to stop gripping the rim of her covers like a scared youth. She firmly placed her hands flat against the mattress. "I had a premonition of danger. I had to go… I heard her scream… I had to go…" Bella sighed. She would shake her head, but the pressure in her cranium was s tern reminder of the pain that would ensue. "Somewhere during the fight she must have fled."

"Answer my question fool! Who is Sashua? You aren't a hero to go rushing into danger just for someone if there isn't something in it for you!" Albel berated harshly. Bella turned to finally stare into the dark, leering eyes of Albel Nox.

"Sashua is a dragon," Bella said clearly. Catching a look of suspicion and hostility in those eyes of his, she quickly continued to say, "and she's mine." There was a scoff of exasperation from Albel.

"Ah, I see. So, how is it no one has seen this dragon, or even heard of it? The maggots around here may not care to look beyond their filthy noses, but an unaccounted for dragon is hard to miss. Dragons don't come humans or their cities unless they belong to one. Or are you more delusional than I first thought," Albel responded with sarcasm. Bella the long bangs that fell over her eyes, making an undignified noise between her lips.

"With the current state of things, both in politics and destruction, I don't think an unbridled dragon is anyone's concern. It wouldn't register. I'm not any more delusional than you, Albel," Bella said bitingly. Albel stood straight, glowering down at her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Albel demanded indignantly.

"It means we're both crazy, and perhaps a little broken." Bella paused for a moment, then smiled a little. "But that's what somehow makes us better than everyone else. Well adjusted people who don't know suffering are boring and useless." There was a moment of silence, before Albel smiled faintly. However, it was not long lived, choked away by his pride.

"Get back to sleep. The sooner you're better, the sooner we can get this wedding nonsense over with. It's dragged on long enough," he shortly said, turning quickly to head to the door. Bella sighed, watching his back as he opened the door.

"Albel…?" Bella peeped. He paused, and then glanced over his sloped, bare shoulder.

"What?"

"Are those… so-called executioners still roaming out there?" Bella asked. Albel paused a moment, glancing down, giving Bella a clear view of his profile. After a moment, he nodded his head, and slowly turned again. He put his hand against the hilt of his sword.

"They won't be for long," he said arrogantly. Bella nodded. She did not believe he could uproot their numbers, but was not in the state of mind to argue that point. She gazed down at her hands for a moment, expecting to hear the door click as it closed. Instead, she heard a chuckle, which startled her. "Their arrival isn't all bad - there is finally a challenge worthy of me in this pathetic world, again." Bella glanced over at him as he turned away once again.

"You mean domestic life and politics aren't challenging?" Bella asked, trying to attempt at humour again. He glanced at her one last time over his shoulder, before pushing the door open.

"Bah…" was all he said as he disappeared through the doorway.

Bella sighed and rested her head back down on her soft, downy pillow. As soft and inviting as the pillow was, she tired of it. All of this illness and staying stationary was more exhausting than the headaches, occasional nausea, and cognitive anomalies. Bella got to her feet and walked over to a candle that was on a vanity, and cast a small spell to light it. Once she had more light, she stared at a mirror.

"Who are you?" Bella asked, staring at a face she realized seemed transformed. She had gone through exhausting training, endured grueling climates, and survived difficult battles. However, never had she looked so aged, sickly, or tired. "Not only do I look different… I am different. I've gone soft… so soft…" Bella remarked, prodding at her stomach, which had rounded out from the inactivity. Bella quickly turned away from the mirror, staring at the opposing wall. "Disgusting…"

With only a split second worth of thought, Bella grabbed up a pile of her belonging that sat beneath her bed, and snuck out.


End file.
